Political Party Platforms

With the presidential elections right around the corner, it only makes sense to post about the platforms of the two main political parties running for office. Although I don't have a political preference party wise I do come from a family that is constantly bickering as half is conservative as half is liberal.


Democratic Platform:

Abortion is a big issue in today's world. Many people want abortion to be made illegal current president Barrack Obama believes abortion should be legal. The Democratic party thinks that a woman should have the right to chose whether or not she has an abortion without government interference. Support programs that help woman during and after pregnancy along with adoption agencies is another aspect of Obama's view. I do agree with this because the woman should have the right to chose for herself. I'm adopted and am very glad I wasn't aborted but if for some reason a woman doesn't know adoption exists and wishes to have an abortion it is still her own moral choice, not the government's.


Same-sex marriage is a vastly debated topic in the political world today last I heard. A same-sex couple has just as much right to get married as any other couple. Obama wishes to help these couples by working to ending discrimination against them by local, state, and the federal government. And why shouldn't they be allowed to get married to the person they love? I honestly don't see how the government can say that someone cannot marry another person of the same sex just because they believe it is wrong. The only result of same-sex marriage is same-sex marriage, the world s not going to end if same-sex couples are allowed to be legally married. I'm in total support and agreement of same-sex marriage.

Biological weapons are becoming increasingly more common in the modern era of scientific knowledge and discovery. The current administration is continuing its efforts to improve our first response to intentional and unintentional release of biological hazards into the public. Obama is also taking steps to reduce potential exploitation of biological weapons by expanding our capabilities to prevent, attribute, and apprehend the perpetrators of such attacks. I agree that we need to continue to increase our defense against such hazardous and easily deployed attacks.

Republican Platform:

The first topic from the Republican platform is protecting religious freedom around the world and at home. Since our very beginnings, America has been a beacon of hope for those being persecuted for their beliefs from all over the world. Religious intolerance and violent persecution are strongest in the Middle East right now. According to the Republican platform the current administration has pushed the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom to the side at a time when its voice most needs to be heard. Although i do agree that it is a fundamental and universal right of every human being to worship in whatever religion they chose to, I do not see the importance of bringing religion to the forefront of politics. 

My final topic will be the Republican support of Federal Healthcare Research and Development. The Republican support the federal investment into basic and applied biomedical research, especially the neuroscience research going on to try and find a cure to mental diseases like Autism, Alzheimer's, and Parkinson's. These terrible disease afflict so many and cause them and their loved ones so much distress. The  use of embryonic stem cells is inhumane but there are other ways to get stem cells and the Republican party realizes this and sees their potential. Gleaning stem cells from adult stem cells, umbilical cord blood, and cells reprogrammed into pluripotent cells are just some of the ways in which to continue stem cell research without killing embryos. I am in utter agreement with the Republicans here, and not only because i wish to pursue a career in the biomedical fields, but also because without funding and investment scientists can do very little to nothing to help all the people who are afflicted by terrible disease including the ones mentioned above as well as many types of cancers and life altering injuries like spinal cord deterioration which causes paralysis.

Bullying Post

22 year old Martha "Missy" Combs, a Ladue Horton Watkins High School graduate, recently posted about her experiences being bullied in her junior year of high school. At Ladue a tradition started by senior boys ten years ago. In 2007, when she was junior, she was put on this list and she was devastated. Combs didn't bother to go to school for the next day or two after the administration did nothing to stop "The List" from being made each year. Recently, she found out the list is still being made and decided to post about her experience with this list in order to get the school staff to realize that ignoring bullying isn't the answer.



William Lucas is another good example of how bullying causes tragedy. Lucas was a 15 year old boy from an Indiana high school and he killed himself September 9th, 2010. He was harassed and bullied every day by people for his presumed sexual orientation. The principal of the school was quoted saying hurtful things to Lucas as well. "If someone beat you up, I wouldn't know whether to give him an award or suspend him" -Rodney King, principal.

Lucas' parents have recently hired an attorney and are suing the school with a Wrongful Death Lawsuit because nothing was done to prevent the bullying that causes Lucas to kill himself.



On September 20th, 2011 Jamey Rodemeyer, a 14 year old openly bisexual kid from Buffalo, NY, committed suicide from gay bullying in his high school. Jamey had made several YouTube videos encouraging other people suffering from gay bullying to not let it ruin their lives. One of these videos is It Gets Better, I Promise! which he made in May 2011. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Pb1CaGMdWk

Jamey's parents are currently continuing to spread his message of stopping gay bullying, and bullying of any kind. Jamey was a big fan of Lady Gaga; he had a collage of pictures of himself at different concerts with her in the background. When Gaga found out about this tragedy she was horrified. She began a campaign to have all bullying made illegal and to have bullying set as a hate crime. On the weekend that he killed himself, Jamey posted the lyrics to a Lady Gaga song on his Facebook wall. "Don't forget me when I come crying to heaven's door."




Lakota G said: "Golden rule, nuff said."
Hannah S said: "Bullying should be watched, stopped, and prevented."
Sheila H said: "When people hurt over and over, think of them like sand paper. They may scratch and hurt you a bit, but in the end, you end up polished and they end up useless."