Cocaine, Heroin, and Meth are roads that lead to death. According to a 2014 surveya reported 44.1 million Americans used drugs and or alcohol. About 12.6% of thoseusers were between the ages of 12-15, and manypeople between the ages of 18-30 also contributed to this number. This marked the sixth straight year that 60 percent or more of teens reported that their high schools are “drug infected".However, for the first time in the survey’s history, a majority of private school students reported drugs on campus. The number jumped from 36 percent in 2011, to 54 percent in 2012.A survey that was taken in the US and the UK,showed much of the drug use was in high school student's binge drinking and using marijuana. Binge drinking being considered five or more drinks in a time span of 2 hours.
Public schools are not the only ones to blame for this. There are just as much orclose to the same amount of drug use/drinking happening in private school. Many people think that Christian schools are also completelyclean but that’s far from true. Researchers found that teens who are deemed more privileged, or those who lived in nice areas and attended elite schools were more likely to use marijuana, cocaine, and ecstasy. Girls from top schools are said to three times more likely to suffer from drugs and alcohol-related problems. Boys from the same backgrounds were said to be twice as likely as other male students to becoming addicted to drinking or substances in early adulthood.
Ibelieve this is a problem in WC becausenot only does it make us look bad and potentially ruin our testing scores but it also goes against our Christian beliefs. I personally took a survey at WC and was sad to find out that about 90% of the people I asked said that they have done drugs and or drank alcohol. About 60% said that the reason they wanted to because they wanted to or it seemed fun because their friends where doing it. The other percent said that their parents where either also doing it or just letting their children do it.
"Necessity is the plea for every infringement of human freedom. It is the argument of tyrants; it is the creed of slaves." - William Pitt (the Younger), Speech in the House of Commons, November 18, 1783
Repealing the 2nd amendment is a hot topic after the recent shooting at Stoneman Douglas High in Parkland, Florida. This tragic event spurred a massive anti-gun movement and “The March for our Lives.” The main question at hand is if we repealed the second amendment, would that severely diminish the number of gun deaths in the country? The answer is simply yes. If you take away the guns, logically the gun deaths will be lowered. The argument to this can be found through my Christian worldview, and that is sin. Evil people will always exist. People that want to murder will stab or beat a person to death if they don’t have access to guns.
The purpose of the second amendment was seen by the founding fathers as our God-given right to self-preservation and having an armed citizenry under the threat of a tyrannical government. Is it really that unlikely that our government goes rogue? Look at Germany in the 40’s after Hitler took control. He took away all the guns from the populous and then did whatever he wanted. If the military decided to attack an armed populous, it would be suicide. The current population of the United States is about 300,000,000, and the current military holds about 800,000 service members.
Worthington Christian’s Head of School, Troy McIntosh, commented in an interview that “I do not think the 2nd amendment should be repealed. I believe it was put in the Bill of Rights as a means of securing all the other rights within it.” What he means by this that the amendments are God-given and absolute. These rights cannot be infringed upon and they are what make us free and independent people. A great example of this being the 1st amendment. The constitution defends a citizen’s ability to say whatever he/she pleases. If this amendment could be infringed upon or policed, (a good example of this is Canada) then what is stopping that same government from removing the amendment outright or removing others? He goes on to explain that “An armed citizenry provides a necessary defense against a potentially tyrannical government. I believe scripture allows the use of force in cases in which loving our neighbor requires it.” Mr. Heath also remarked “that the strength of The Constitution (including the Bill of Rights) is in its ability to adapt and be modified in accordance with changing circumstances. In this case, it may be possible to achieve necessary changes in the United States without modifications to the Bill of Rights.” Where we may be able to add more stringent background checks for buying firearms and maybe a waiting period for the purchase of a handgun, the fact that these rights are inalienable given to us by God means that changing the amendment because the “times have changed” is irrelevant. In the past, the Washington Artillery of New Orleans was an artillery militia and was not regulated by the government. This means that cannons were permitted under the second amendment. They both later stated that stricter gun control should be enforced, but that is another discussion for another time.
Over the past couple years, many athletes have been using their status to state their beliefs on how the US is being run.The athlete that has made the biggest impact on society and motivated other athletes to speak out recently is Colin Kaepernick.During the preseason of the 2016 NFL season, Kaepernick sat during the National Anthem.During the first two games, it went unnoticed because he wasn’t wearing a uniform. He finally got attention in the third game, when he had his uniform on which shows how much recognition an athlete is given by the media compared to an average person protesting.Throughout the course of the 2016 and 2017 season, more and more NFL players knelt.This led to a decline in ticket sales and television ratings because many consider it disrespectful to America and those who have fought for it. Many athletes from other sports have supported Kaepernick.The USA Women’s Soccer Team all knelt during the anthem.Kobe Bryant, Stephen Curry, and Lebron James are the most prominent NBA players to support Kaepernick through interviews and tweets.When the Golden State Warriors won the 2017 NBA title, they declined the White House visit because they don’t agree with President Trump’s leadership. A major cause for athletes speaking out recently has been Donald Trump.Trump has insisted that any NFL player that kneels should be fired.NBA player, Lebron James, has called Donald Trump racist and his role as president laughable.NBA coach, Gregg Popovich, has raved that he is soulless and a disgrace to our country. Although it has expanded a lot recently, athletes have been making political statements since the 1960s.In 1967, boxer, Muhammad Ali, refused to fight in the Vietnam War since it was against his religious beliefs.He was then arrested and stripped of his Heavyweight title belt.NFL player Pat Tillman enlisted in the army shortly after 9/11.He explained that he thought that his role as a football player was shallow, and he didn’t like how George Bush was running the country.He was found dead in battle in 2004.It was later discovered he was killed by friendly fire.These are just a few examples of the many times that athletes have spoken out in the past. I interviewed student-athletes from around the school and asked them what their opinions were on celebrity athletes using their sport to make political statements.The majority of those interviewed suggested that it is disrespectful to kneel during the anthem.Many replied that they think athletes should be allowed to state their beliefs in social media and in interviews, but they shouldn’t be allowed to during game since it’s a job and part of their job is to appease the fans.The students also believe that making political statements can cause an unnecessary rift between the team.IJournalism teacher, Mr. Stoll, believes that “team sports are about winning and losing as a team.Individual players should not do anything to stand out.”
Sexting is a worldwide issue that all high schools deal with, including ours. Even though Worthington Christian High School is a Christian school it doesn’t mean that we are excluded from these issues. Nearly 40 percent of all teenagers have posted or sent sexually suggestive messages, according to a recent study done in high schools across the U.S. Knowing this statistic I became curious of the amount of sexting done at WCHS, so I anonymously interviewed over ten students about sexting and whether they participated in it and why.
The answers I got were from the survey were shocking. When I questioned students on the matter they became very uncomfortable but I assured them it was anonymous and they then felt more compelled to share. The first student I spoke to was comfortable with his reasons for sexting, he said simply "I was horny and under the influence". This seemed to be a continual theme. Some students said they did it as a joke. Others said they did it out of desperation. Either way, most regretted it. One student told me he sexted "because I am a savage". And another said, "I am sex". Reasons for sexting varied from needing to feel accepted to feelings of inadequacy.
Not all the interviewees said they have sexted. Few had never sexted but only received sexts. One student described her sexting experience as "unsolicited and annoying". Another student said, "sadly no". Sexting has come to the point where it is socially acceptable and expected. But sending or receiving sexually suggestive messages and photos under 18 is considered child pornography and can result in criminal charges.
It is a lot more serious than teenagers realize. Not only that but often times the receivers of the messages or photo will share them with other people. You may think the photos or message are just between the two of you but you never know who they are with or what they may do with them.
