Candy7468's blog

A Hard Look at Celibacy 

            The idea of celibacy is considered alternatively both inconceivable and pure by the eyes of the public today.  In the last few years, celibacy has been the focus of many different news stories, from the priest abuse scandals to the abstinence movement.  Celibacy is more than just a monk sitting alone in the mountains.  The people who choose celibacy are very diverse, and so choose celibacy for many different reasons. 

            Many people today have taken a vow to remain abstinent until marriage.  There have been numerous talk shows, educational seminars, and books written that glorify the wonders of waiting until marriage until sex (Toussaint 2006).  The focus on abstinence and the importance of religion have created a new generation that are pledging virginity until marriage (Kelly 2005; “Chastity’s champions,” 2005).  Most school programs teach an abstinance-only approach that focuses on waiting until marriage (Kelly; “Chastity’s champions”).  The abstinence proponents are doing everything they can to make abstinence hip and sexy, from the classic silver pledge rings to skimpy underwear with statements supporting virginity before marriage.  (Kelly; “Wait Wear,” 2005; “Chastity’s champions;” Toussaint; Fantz, 2005).  Due to the integration of ‘hip teen abstinence programs’ into mainstream cultures, many teenagers are remaining a virgin until marriage (Kelly; “Chastity’s champions;” Fantz).  There has been much debate about the success of the abstinence-only education programs, but  with people who do actually keep to their pledge, there is not many studies on whether it is because of abstinence education and virginity pledges, or if it is due to religion and family.  

Many conservatives seek to rigidly regulate the porn industry so much that it keeps the industry from functioning (Cate, 1996).  In 2005, an old law was amended that forced all porn websites to prove their models are at least 18 years old (Han, 2005; Kesmodel, 2006).  It seems to be a perfectly good law, but actually is so rigidly worded that it almost makes it impossible for these websites to function (Han; Kesmodel).   It means that websites have to look at all of their past work and verify ages on all of the models, since the law applies retroactively (Kesmodel).  Also, it is very difficult for a website that is presenting pictures derived from secondary sources to get accurate information about models employed somewhere else (Kesmodel).  Many times, this requirement has caused models to retire, for fear of their identity leaking out (Kesmodel).  This type of thing was put in place to inhibit business, and not to actually regulate it (Han; Kesmodel).  

I found this wonderful quote which Arun Gandhi (grandson of Mahatma Gandhi) wrote which I think is so true.  People are so intent on the right way, right way of thinking, right religion, that they forget our humanity. This is from the foreword for a book called God without Religion :

"The central question...in life itself is “What is God?” This question has baffled humankind for eons, and it will continue to defy logical understanding so long as we live with the concept that there is Heaven up above, and that God sits there judging all of humanity, punishing those who misbehave. Eminent people throughout history have tried to find logical answers to this vexing question with little success. His Holiness Gautama, The Buddha, one among many, did tapasya under a banyan tree for years and ultimately found that God exists within every human heart in the form of love, compassion, understanding and all positive attributes that human kind is capable of but often chooses to suppress. Perhaps, instead of espousing exclusively rational images of God, we would best serve God and one another more faithfully by remaining open to the mystery that transcends our understanding...

The Federal Income Tax Laws are unfair.  They are too complicated and vague, making it hard to enforce.  Because of their poor wording, nobody can agree on what the laws mean.  Over the years, there has been a lengthy debate over whether it is a direct or indirect tax.  People who believe that it is a direct tax say that income is property, while people who believe that it is an indirect tax say that income is not property.  Because of this confusion as to the nature of the law, numerous Supreme Court rulings have conflicted with one another.  If the Supreme Court justices, who are very well-versed in reading the law, cannot understand Federal Tax Laws, then the average American most definitely will not be able to.  People do not know which ruling to abide by, because abiding by one ruling could get them in trouble for tax evasion in another ruling.  This vagueness impinges on due process. 

US intervention is a common occurrence in
Latin America.  The US intervenes in
Latin America more than any other region in the world. The
United States is so involved in Latin American politics because of the manifest destiny.  For some reason, the thinking is that it is worse to have something happen on the same continent than if it happened on the other side of the world.  Unfortunately, US intervention tends to make things worse in
Latin America.  The
United States helps ruthless dictators slaughter their own people. 

The FDA should regulate herbal supplements as it ensures safety for the consumer.  If taken properly, herbal supplements have great benefits.  The problem is that there simply is not enough regulation of the herbal supplements.  Many herbal supplements can be dangerous if taken incorrectly.  What’s worse, people simply do not have enough information about the benefits and risks of herbal supplements.  A great example of the lack of regulation is overuse of Ephedra.  A while back, people started taking mass amounts of Ephedra in order to lose weight.  It ended in a great amount of deaths, causing the FDA to take measures against makers of medicines containing Ephedra.  Because it was considered an herbal supplement, it did not have the same scrutiny as synthetic drugs.  Herbal supplements can be just as powerful as synthetic drugs, so the same vigilance in regulation should apply. 

The concept of interdependence is two or more things which are mutually dependent on one another.  In a global sense, it means countries that equally rely on each other for help as well as trade.  A country which is completely dependent on other countries becomes vulnerable and a country which maintains complete independence from other countries runs itself into the ground (Gandhi).  Interdependence provides a happy medium between the two extremes.  The practice of interdependence between countries is tantamount to achieving effective and worthwhile foreign policy (Gandhi).