Drugs In Portugal

I found the article about how drugs are dealt with in Portugal very interesting. When reading the article I thought about what California would be like if we followed the same drug laws as Portugal. This would mean that no one would go to jail for drug use or possession and they would have the option of turning down rehab therapy. I think that this would increase the amount of drug addicts and possibly result in a higher crime rate. However, the amount of inmate in jails would decrease and save the state a large sum of money. I do not think that saving that money would be worth it though. I think that in order to keep the majority of Californians safe it is important to maintain drug laws.

Brown calling Whitman a whore

I believe that it was inappropriate for Whitman to be called a whore, however, I do not necessarily believe that Brown should suffer because of it. It has become obvious that this race has become way too personal and I am sure that name calling goes on on both sides frequently. It just happened to be that Brown's was caught on a recording. I think that both candidates need to step back and take a look at how personal this race really has become.

Whitman Vs. Brown

Watching parts of this debate I discovered that I don't think of either of the candidates as great potential Governors. I feel as though they each have made it difficult to take a side because there debates on issues always seem to turn into personal attacks. I am disappointed that they are using personal attacks as a way to win votes. This keeps the voters from learning about each candidates and their views. It also send the wrong message that they don't work well with other parties which as Governor is an important job.

Voting Age

I believe that the age eighteen is an appropriate age for people to gain the right to vote. I do not think that it should be lowered because I think that most people under the age of eighteen are unaware of the different aspects of the political world. I think that it is important to have well informed voters and I think that for many people under the age of eighteen are lacking a sense of political maturity. I believe that people who are legal residents and who participate in our society should have the right to vote without citizenship. These resident aliens often contribute a lot to our society and I believe that because they are here legally and contribute to our society they're voice should be heard. Citizens who have committed felonies should be stripped of their voting right temporarily. I think that this would be a reasonable result of the committed felonies and that while serving jail time they should be stripped of there voting rights.

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Growing up, current events have always been a discussion topic in my household. As a result my family has played the biggest part in influencing my views on current events and politics as a whole. Although my family members are the ones who influence my views the most I believe, as I grow closer to being able to vote, I find myself also being influenced by my own experiences. I believe my own experiences are important because they shape my views and give me reasons to view current events and politics the way I do. My family, friends, and communities I am surrounded by have the greatest effect on my political attitudes. I think this is because I am often times surrounded by these people and am able to hear discussions about there views and beliefs. Hearing these views from people who are important in my life can influence how I view politics because I am more likely to want to agree rather then disagree with them.

Currently, some of the hot topics in the U.S. have been related to the environment, universal health care, and oursourcing. All of these topics are often in the news and I feel as though they are constantly a topic being discussed. Although, I think all of these topics are important and deserve to be discussed I believe I have the strongest personal opinion when it comes to outsourcing. The U.S. has currently become accustomed to outsourcing jobs to other countries, especially China and India. Outsourcing maybe a cheap alternative but what people don't think about is how it hurts small businesses in the U.S. I believe that in the long run outsourcing is weakening the U.S. economy and lowering it ability to compete with these other nations. How are we supposed to work towards a better economy when we are sending our money to different countries instead of supporting businesses in our own?