Summative Blog

Age - 18
Sex - Female
Degree - Philosophy and Psychology
Being Bad relates with my introduction to critical thinking module im taking with Rob as it encourages us to question what we believe and explore different ideas and beliefs. I think that being bad was just right I didnt find it too easy but i didn't fint it hard either, for me the creative writing assesment was the hardest.
I do think that the list of topics addressed were appropriate but I think that we could have gone more indepth, I felt that we only touched the surface of the topics.
I do think that the overall format of the classes has worked well, I liked the idea of having somone new each week, however I think that the sessions where there was more diolouge worked best, I enjoyed the sessions where were came alone and had group discussions rathere than the ones where we were talked at.
Yes I think that the interdiciplinary approach was a good way to teach the module and I think that they are a very good idea, I would like to see more modules like being bad I would definetly take them.
Yes I am going to take the follow up level at level 2 and I would recommend it.
I do think that the blogs were a good idea as it gave us the opputunity to address a number of topics, however I couldn't see what we gained from logging on each day.
I do think that one longer assesment would be better than the two short ones, I found it hard to do the creative piece given the word limit and I had to cut alot out of my adultary essay.
I have learnt alot from the module, I think that the way we percieve things to be bad is wrong and we should consider each situation rather than make stereotypical assumptions.
I did not enjoy the second half of the module as much as the first half, I don't know why it just seemed that the intresting topics came first.
I think that the being bad module is a really good idea, personally being a philosophy student I would have liked to have explored the views of different philosophers regarding the topics, I do however appreciate that not all the students who took being bad were philosophy students.

The G20 Riot Slap!!

Hi, I would like to comment on all the media corerage that the piolce officer has recieved after slapping that woman at the G20 summit riot. I would like to question why everyone complains about the state the contry is in because all the power has been taken away then they complain when they do something. No one has got any respect for the poilce force any more they are a laughing point fore the majority of society. I think that what the poilce officer did was wrong because he is not supposto do it, however that woman admitted to pushing the poilce officer so why shouldnt he be allowed to defend himself.

Ok I don't agree with him slapping her because I don't agree with men hitting women. But I do think that the poilce officer should have been able to arrest her with the reassurance that she would get a justifiable sentance. The thing is that even if that poice officer would have arrested her she would have probably only spent a couple of hours in a cell. The poice officer was obviously frustrated with the people at the riot and felt intimmidated, he was just hitting out because of the situation hre fouind himself in. I think the media should rocus more on the abuse the poilce officers were suffering and suffer on a daily basis and not on the one person who has suffered because of the frustration of the police officer.

Responce to Emma

I agree with you that prisions are not what they should be. People have been sent to prision as a punishment, I think that prisions shold be made so that their is no way a prisioner would ever want to go back. As for pedo's I really do think that they should never be released back into society. If their is one thing the government have a duty to do it is to protect children, I really do feel frustrated that their is a possibility of a convicted pedophile living on your doorstep without you having any knowledge of their past. When I was younger my mom and dad were good friends with our neighbours and left us in their care on a few occasions. looking back my mom said that she would have never done that if things were hoe they were now. It is easy to befriend someone in order to get to their child. I also hear my nan saying that their was a time they could leave doors unlocked with out the fear of being robbed, that is totally out of the question now, but how nice would it be if society could go back to that.Perhaps tougher punishments would be one step closer to feeling safe in your own home and not having to look over your sholder or watch your bag when you go out. Link to Emma's Blog

Child Poverty in the UK

Hi, I know I have already written one blog regarding poverty, but I thought I'd just bring to light the issue of child poverty we have in the UK. ONE OUT OF EVERY TEN CHILDREN IN THE UK LIVE IN POVERTY!!! I think that child poverty in the western world is disgusting. Their are so many people in the country who are living comfortable who are ignorant to children living in poverty right on their doorsteep. I think to be ingorant of poverty in other contrys is wrong but it is worse to ignore something which is right in front of of our faces.

My question is if the government are aware that children in the Uk are living in poverty why don't they find the money to sort it out, it should be top on their list. I think that so much money is put to waste in the UK buliding sculptures in city centres or redoing pavements which were fine to start with. The idea of that money going to waste while our own children are suffering is appauling. I personally give to childrens charities when ever I can and I know my parents give to child charities every mounth, I know it is probably not much but if everyone stood together and put money the issue would get sorted out alot faster.

The other thing that annoys me about child poverty in the UK is that there are so many people living on the dole and living a better standard of life than those children. A child cannot go and get a job to look after itself a adult can. So I think that if any money is going to be given in benifits it should be for those children and when it is given the goivernment should take the responsibility of making sure the children recieve the benifits of that money and not the local pub.

Benifit Fraud

Hi, I thought benifit fraud was an intresting topic for a blog because I know that many people who work feel strongly about people taking tax payers money without reason. There are people out there who claim to be disabled when they aren't. I really don't see any reason for this I think that it is unfair on people who are really disabled. The fact that there are so many people claiming money which they are not entitled too and abusing the systam means that there is less money for the peole who need it. OK I understand that people may be struggleing and feel the need to commit benifit fraud as a last resort and I feel truely sorry for them, but with the system that is in place now and the opputunity for concil accomodation etc. there must be other ways to go about getting money or work.

I personally feel that the worse cases are those where birth certificates of children sometimes dead children are taken and used to claim money. To me I think that this is completely heartless how can someone use the birth certificate of their dead child to make money. I don't see any excuse for it .

Sentencing of Jack Tweed

Today Jack Tweed has been sentenced for his assault on a cab driver and has been given twelve weeks imprisonment. The judge said that he took Jacks personal situation into consideration and his family claim the judge was harsh because of who he is. 

Personally I don't even think his personal situation should have been taken into consideration. At the end of the day a sentence is passed depending on the crime committed and personal situation should be irrelevant. If the justice system had to take into consideration everyones personal situation at the time of the trial it would take far too long. If someone has assaulted someone else they should be punished regardless. You can't have two people who have committed exactly the same crime and sentence them differently because of their 'personal situation'. 

Ok I understand that Jack may be going through a hard time at the moment but he knew what he was doing when he assaulted the cab driver. As for the family claiming that he has received a harsh sentence because of who he is, they want to be thankful he didn't receive the whole 18 weeks that the judge could have given him, after all he was on probation when he committed the crime. I think if you have committed a crime you should be prepared to go to prison, he didn't take into consideration the cab drivers personal situation when he assaulted him for all Jack knew the cab driver could have not long lost someone. I think everyone is getting a bit confused, all the fuss is being made over Jack - He's not the victim.

Response to Faith

I totally agree with faith regarding Jade Goody, the media interest has increased awareness of cancer and provoked sympathy in the general public for cancer sufferers and their families. But I do think that awareness could have been increased with out following her around and filming her in the last weeks of her life. I don't blame Jade at all for taking the last opportunity to make money for her children, but on the other hand their are some people out their who are not left with that opportunity and face dying and leaving their children alone with nothing. Also she made the choice not only to let the cameras follow her around but to also put her children in the spot light at a time which was already difficult for them. In the future will those children really like the idea that the nation watched their mother and followed her illness in the last weeks of her life??

I think that when a illness like that hits a family it is not only the one with the illness that suffers but it is all the loved ones. It is also the loved ones who are left to deal with the loss afterwards. I just personally wouldn't find any comfort in the idea that my mom was in the spotlight as she died. Faiths Blog 

Violent Video Games

Their is a significant amount of psychological research regarding violent films and video games and their effect on children. The research suggests that violet video games have a negative effect on children's behavior as the children engage in the games and are rewarded by points etc for engaging in violent acts. Past behavioral research has shown that this type of reward of children can seriously impact on their behavior. 

Why is it that with negative research evident and easily accessible to the general public that children are still allowed to engage in violent games?  Video games of a violent nature are a common theme in modern society regardless of their impact. 

The impact of such films and video games should be emphasized to wider society to ensure parents are not ignorant to their effect. Perhaps if parents knew the behavioral consequences of such games it would not be as socially acceptable for children to be exposed to them.

Response to Jordan

In Response to Jordan's blog on Homosexuality I would like to say that although I don't think that homosexuality is a bad thing because no one gets hurt I still wouldn't be able to say that homosexuality is natural to me. I know that you say that it you think that homosexuality is perfectly natural but because I don't see someone of the same sex in that way I can't see it as natural or 'normal', I suppose normal is what you know.

I would never suggest that society should go back to how it was and view homosexuality as dangerous or wrong and I do think that religion should accept people of all background's but lately they have started to and the church has accepted homosexual priests etc. Homosexuality does not cause any harm to anyone so I don't really see why people disagree with it so much, but I do see why people have objections to homosexuality being forced on society I think that many people today feel obliged to accept things which they don't agree with because it's put in front of them on TV or in the media. Although I think that homosexuality should not be restricted in the way it was I personally don't want to walk down the street and see two people of the same sex kissing or being over the top about their sexuality, some things should be saved for behind closed doors. 

Wrongly Accused and Sentenced to Death

This article contains a story of a man who was wrongly accused of rape and murder and sentenced to death. Ten years later the real rapist and murderer was caught and admitted to the murder and rape of the victim. He named the victim, identified the crime scene and took full responsibility for his actions.
 
The thing which has shocked me is that even after the discovery that the man who was wrongfully sentenced to death the police officers and authorities of Henan, China say that the case is closed and won't reconsider it. I think this is appalling as an innocent man was sentenced to death and they won't even clear his name. 
 
I think that now the real killer has been caught the police should at least consider the case and admit that the man was innocent. OK they will never bring the man back but they could bring some justice to the case, sentence the real murderer and give the families of both the victim of the rape and murder and the wrongly accused man some closure.

Do The Press Make Things Worse???

bob quickWhile reading the newspaper I found and article about the resignation of the senoir anti-terrorit police officer Bob Quick. The police officer had walked into the houses of parliment with a top secret document on show regarding an undercover operation on terrorism. 
 
I truely don't believe that someone who is working against terrorism is not going to purpously show off a terrorism document. However I do think that it is appalling that someone took picturs of those documents. I think even as a member of the press the individual should have the common sence to go up to him and point out that the documents were on show. The contents of those documents had the potential to get a terrorist group off the streets and therefore save lives. Who did the Bad thing the ploice officer for making a silly mistake or the press for taking pictures and publishing them. 
 
I do think that Bob Quick had a duty to keep those documents in a secure way, but the man works with documents like that everyday of his life so to just pick them up and walk aroud with them would not be out of the ordinary. Thew fact that he did this out of the security of his office is a let down to the public, but is obviously a genuine mistake. I think that the press these days make things alot worse than what they are. Bob Quick walking into the houses of parliment is a mistake which could have been pointed out by a decent person but instead some mr jobsworth journalist decided to take pictures of those documents and gamble the police opperation further. 
 
With terrorism I believe that people should all work together in order to tackle it. Publishing pictures of top secret documents is in my opinion a stupid and immoral thing to do. Yes Ok the press don't have professional duty to keep those documents secure but in my opinion they have a duty as a human being to know that their are some circumstances where doing the right thing comes before taking pictures or selling a story. They should consider how they would feel if the terrorist group got away as a result of those pictures and attacked a public place where members of their family were. There wouldn't be any amount of money or any story good enough to ever bring them back or replace them.

Football on Easter Sunday

The church has decided to have a rant about the Aston Villa football match on Easter Sunday. The article I found said the church suggested that holding a football match on Easter sunday shows 'distain' for religious traditions. Personally I don't think that the club is showing Distain for anyone they are just holding a football match. It is not as if anything has been directly done to the church in fact the club has moved the match back by half an hour to allow worshipers make their way to church. Don't get me wrong I consider myself to be a christian but I don't force my beliefs on others and if someone wants to go to a football match on easter sunday I would never criticize them or suggest that by living their life in the way they want they are showing distain for or anything else.

The church's main concern about the match is that the worshipers would not be able to make their way to church. I understand that for old people perhaps it would be hard to get to church amongst all the traffic but they could always set out early or walk the same as they would have too on a normal sunday if they wanted to go to church and a match was taking place. I also think that on sunday alot of the crowd attending the football match are religious themselves many of them christians. 

I have personally always been of the belief that you don't have to go to church to be a christian and those people attending the match are no less christians nor are they showing distain for other christians or traditions that many of them will hold dear, for many it is a well deserved day off to spend time with their families. It is up to them to celebrate easter in a way they see fit.

I don't think that by holding a match on easter sunday the club are doing a bad thing, the only reason I can see for the Church to complain is how early the match was taking place. The match has now been moved so I really don't see their is any problem. 

Response to Jordan

I agree that everyone has at some point in their life told at least one lie and personally I don't think that it is lying which is bad but it is the intentions behind the lie. If someone lies intentionally to hurt someone or knowing that if it was found out it would cause greater hurt than the truth then it is totally wrong. However telling little lies like 'no your bum don't look big in that' I think don't really cause any damage to anyone because lets face it if you said 'it makes no difference your bum looks big in everything'. I think that in that case to tell the truth would be mean! in some cases we tell lies or don't say anything at all to protect people. We have all heard the phrase if you haven't got anything nice to say don't say anything at all. In some ways that could be seen as deceiving someone or holding back the truth, if everyone went round saying exactly what they think it would be the truth but probably cause more harm then telling the a lie. Jordan's Blog

Rebellious Revolutions are the way forward

There are many revolutions throughout history which were seen as bad or dangerous at the time. Christopher Columbus’ theory that the world is round was once considered as mad. Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution was seen as blasphemy and Darwin was branded as an atheist.

There are many revolutions especially scientific which have completely changed the way mankind live and view their lives. The thing is although these theories have brought with them such a great understanding they have also had to struggle against the previously held beliefs. Throughout time mankind has been reluctant to question their beliefs and have refused at all costs to change the way they view the world. Why is that?

The Church has taken control of the beliefs of individuals in Britain in the past when the majority of society were church going Christians. They have attempted to suppress any theory which seems to threaten the church and silence anyone who puts forward such a theory.

The truth is that you don’t have to reject religion to believe in Darwin’s theory of evolution. In the contemporary world there are not many who would object to the theory. There is a way that evolution and religion can fit together so most these days are ‘theistic evolutionists’ and they don’t even know it. This is a very interesting theory of how religion and evolution can fit together while many theories see the two as complete opposites.

The Church I believe has a major impact on the way we view morality and what is right or wrong. The truth is that no one really knows anything for certain so why judge someone because they want to live there life differently to the way you do. Not to open your eyes to a variety of points of view is to live in ignorance. So if nothing which was considered as bad or wrong was ever done we would live in ignorance forever and the rebellious revolutions which have benefited mankind would never of come to light and if society still continues to judge people by what they believe and not open there eyes up to new or rebellious ideas we will never have the opportunity for improvement.

Child Obesity

27% of children in the UK are now obese, this causes low self esteem and serious health problems. The question I would like to ask is who exactly is to blame. The children don't really understand the health risks of an unhealthy diet so are they really responsible for their own ill health?

Personally I don't believe that any one person is responsible for the obesity of a child the responsibility is shared between parents, schools, supermarkets and the government.

Parents obviously are not without blame for their child's bad diet, they are the sole people who have the complete control over what their children eat on a daily basis as they prepare the meals and portion sizes. However I also believe that schools have a very important role to play in educating the child about the health risks of an unhealthy diet and lack of exercise before its too late. In my opinion the physical education within schools is also lacking, it is recommended that children receive at least half an hour of exercise per day, this should be incorporated in the schools curriculum by the government. The benefits of a half hour session of exercise every morning I believe would be more than beneficial to the children. I know most people hate P.E at school, trust no one disliked it more than me but sometimes its a case of being cruel to be kind. Adults should take responsibility for children and be prepared to ensure that their health is not neglected as a result of being too lazy to do exercise with them or cook healthy meals instead of going to the chip shop. 

The supermarkets also play a huge role in the reason for obesity. They always put the chocolate right by the tills, this is so the child sees it right at the end of the shopping when  the parent is and child are fed up, the child asks for chocolate and the parent can't be bothered with the fuss if they say no to a already irritated child.

The health risks of smoking and alcohol are everywhere in society and more recently the issues surrounding diet have been brought into the public eye, however over eating, fast food and lack of exercise are a part of daily life, they are not at all considered unacceptable. Should they be??? If something is bad for your health should it be considered unacceptable?? In my opinion no, but would you give a cigarette or alcohol to a child?? No, thats because children should be protected against anything which is going to damage their health and I'm not saying ban children from eating chocolate or fast food because thats just evil. I am however suggesting that society as a whole should take responsibility for the lifestyle of children and ensure they are receiving a healthy diet and reasonable amount of exercise.

Watch this video of an obese child and ask 'would you have been happy like that as a child???'

Racism

Throughout the module we have been exploring whether or not things which we consider bad are actually bad our beliefs regarding lying, adultery and other such things have been called into question, and personally my disagreement with absolute moral rules has only grew stronger. However racism is a topic which I believe should be approached in and absolutist way. I cannot think of any possible situation where I would consider racism as acceptable.

I have considered the idea of positive discrimination which some people may be in favour of. Personally I completely disagree with it. I believe that we should all be treated as one race - the human race and by positively discriminating between people when it comes to jobs causes a divide, I think that any divide causes problems. When a person of a particular race sees a person of another race getting a job because they are the minority in that area of work it automatically causes them to view themselves as part of another group. We don’t positively discriminate when it comes to hair colour, size of a persons nose or any other physical attribute so why discriminate in any way when it comes to the colour of a persons skin??? The person should be judged based on their qualifications, experience or suitability to the job and not the way they look. 

I cannot think of any acceptable reason why individuals should be judged by the colour of their skin just as I can’t see a reason for discriminating against someone because they have big ears. I would be interested to hear whether there is anyone out there who can convince me of any positive examples of racism because personally I can’t think of one. All the examples I can think of only lead to hate and segregation when we should really be aiming towards becoming one community.

Article on racist attack

Article on racially motivated murder

Response to Ruth

I agree with you that factory farming is wrong and steps should be taken to ensure the welfare of animals. Personally I do my bit and only eat free range eggs. I don't see why everyone can't buy free range eggs its not as if they are that much more expensive.  I also agree that animals do have feelings thoughts and emotions and I feel terribly sorry for them as they can have such disgusting lives, however I think that before any issues regarding animals are addressed the humans who are living in poverty should be considered. I make a point of not ever giving to a charity which involves animals (except dogs for the blind), and I know there are many out there who would strongly disagree with me because I don't see animal suffering as important as human suffering but thats just the way I feel. 

I think that charities should firstly focus on the issues around the world involving children who are starving or being abused and animals shouldn't really gat considered until child suffering is over and done with (if it ever will be over and done with). I do love my pets and would never like to see any harm come to any animal, but I would also give all the pet dogs and cats in the world to save a child's life, because when I look at animals suffering and think 'what if that was my pet?' I do feel upset but the thought of a child suffering to me is a million times worse. So although I completely agree with you that animals shouldn't have to suffer or be killed inhumanly I would never consider doing anything dramatic like ploughing millions into land for all the animals to live happily ever after as long as humans are also living in life threatening conditions. Ruth's Blog

Spitting

One thing that I have got to say annoys me no matter what the situation is spitting. There is just no excuse for walking down the street spitting everywhere its disgusting!!! I could rant all day about it because I really don't think that its exceptable. To me spitting in the street is one of the worst habits on the planet its right up there with slapping you mouth while you eat, but thats a rant for another day. This blog has stemmed from some chav I saw spitting on the bus, thats even worse, it takes spitting to a whole other level really do they realise how unattractive it makes them look. I'm the only one who feels strongly about this unhygienic habit.

Response to Emma

I totally agree with you, I think that taking any tiny bit of violence out of a cartoon because of the fear a child will copy it is ridiculous. I think that being too over protective of children can be just as bad as not caring at all. I would also like to ask where do you draw the line do they want children to stop watching peter pan incase they think they can fly or ban the lion king because animals don't really talk. Cartoons are fiction and I think even children can come to understand that before any damage is done. The problem is there are so many do gooders around that even children's cartoons are coming under attack personally I think they need to get a life and let children enjoy the same cartoons they enjoyed as a child. LinK to Emma's Blog

MP's Expences

Hi, I'm sure you have all heard in the new's that a MP's husband has been charging pornographic movies to the government, to be honest I don't see what all the fuss is about, I think it was worth the tax payes money just for the laugh, they are claiming expences for second houses and cars so what difference is a movie going to make. I think instead of criticising about something which has cost a couple of pound they should point out that they are claiming over 100 thousand pounds a year and that's just taking the mick.

The fact that they have found pornogrophic movies on the expences reciepts in my opinion serves them right for charging everything right down to an 80p bath plug to the government thats just greedy. But on the other hand do you blame them if they can get away with it?
The poor man is now the laughing stock of the country, I think he has been more than humiliated and the public have got their couple of pounds back in entertainment. I just can't believe that some sad reporter has gone through all the reciepts to find a couple of ponographic movies. I don't know what has made me laugh the most the thought of that sad old man sitting in the hotel room alone watching a porn movie, then having to publicly apologise to everyone, or the thought of the reporters excitement after hours of looking through boring reciepts then suddenly finding the porn movies. To be honest I feel sorry for his wife but still find it highly funny. I have included a link to a artical from the times which includes a vidio of the humiliating apology.

Response to Ruth

I completely agree with Ruth regarding making prostitution work within the law. The fact is it is never going to be stopped so the women may as well be given the support they need to keep them safe. I do believe that a red light district somewhere away from the majority of society would be a good idea, I also think that if some sort of system was set up to help the prostitutes the women who wanted to do it for a living could be sure they are safe while the women who feel forced into doing it could receive appropriate help. I can see why the idea of legalizing prostitution would cause a negative reaction from many but I do believe it would be beneficial  long term. Link to Ruth's Blog

Response to Jordan

Hi, Jordan I don't believe that the music someone listens to is solely to blame for them committing suicide I do think that music effects mood because happy songs tend to make you smile. However to go to the extreme and say that bands like My Chemical Romance make people kill themselves is ridiculous. As you know I love music and don't go anywhere without my iPod and I listen to a variety of music including My Chemical Romance. I'm not the type of person that wears black all the time and I'm definitely not a emo I'm far from. I believe that it would take alot more than music to cause someone to actually take their life they must be psychologically insecure to start with and lets face it if your insecure in that way anything can tip you over the edge, so in my opinion its not music to blame there is some other underlying problem. If music is solely to blame then how come everyone who listens to My Chemical Romance doesn't commit suicide?? They must have been extremely venerable people to start with.

Response to Emma

Hi, I would like to agree with you that incest is wrong, to be honest I don't see how you can be attracted to someone you are related to in that way, the thought they are related to you should be enough to put you off straight away. I do however understand that it goes on and OK they're not hurting anyone but why have children together. Incest causes children to have all sorts of genetic conditions and I should also imagine that when the children grow up and are old enough to appreciate they are a product of incest it leaves them feeling confused about who they are. For me I can't see any reason for incest because personally I don't understand what they're thinking but like you say they're not hurting anyone, at the end of the day I'm not perfect so not really in any position to dictate what's right and wrong. Link to Emma's Blog

Poverty

I found an article showing that half the world in 2005 lived on £2.50 per day. I don't know how that makes everyone else feel but it makes me feel mighty lucky. The question I want to ask is should I feel lucky or should I feel bad about the fact I have a nice home and spend money every week on things I don't need while there are so many people having to struggle just to buy food and or get access to water while I take things like that for granted.  The web page also gives other shocking statistics like 40% of the world live on 5% of global income. 

The western world is well aware of the poverty around the globe so why is so little done to help?? I don't think people want to give to charities anymore because no one is quite sure the money is getting to where its meant to be, this is because everyone is well aware of the greed in the world. I also think the responsibility is shared between everyone who doesn't live in the disgraceful conditions, everyone thinks well its not all my fault or there isn't anything I can do. To be honest I don't think that there is a lot I can do but give to charity every now and again and hope it gets there . The thing is I don't think that I'm a bad person because of the lifestyle I lead, its all I have ever known people around me all my life have lived a similar sort of lifestyle, all my friends live the same student lifestyle, but I do wonder if the roles were reversed and I lived in poverty then saw myself would I still be of the opinion that Im not a bad person??

Stealing

stealing is regarded as bad by the fair majority of tyhe population however is all types of stealing bad and are they all as bad as each other is stealinfg from a large company as bad as stealing from a individual. Is it worse to steal off someone you know and has placed trust in you than someone you have never seen before. Is it worse yet to steal off your own granny. i find it very intresting that the majority of people will say they disagree with stealing but then when questioned willn say that certain types of stealing are worse than others. why is this what is it about stealin which makes us view it vworse to steal from a big company than stealing from our own granny?? What about piarate DVD's we have all seen the advertisements telling us that piaracy is steakling but still so many continue to by copied DVD's. What about downloading music from limewire or Utorrent. Im sure its something the majority of us have done yet we go on saying stealing is wrong!! I think thuis works on the same principle as lying we say it is bad but then distinguish between which types of stealing are acceptable. I have included a link to a page showing different types of theft and satistics.http://www.statistics.gov.uk/hub/crime-justice/crime/property-crime

Foul Language

Foul language is something which I believe is becoming more and more accepted as time goes on, don't get me wrong I don't mind if people want to use foul language in their own homes or away form little ears but when walking round the supermarket and you hear a mother swearing at their badly behaved child I always wonder why on earth would someone want to speak to their child like that??? No wonder they are behaved badly they are following example. I also hate sitting on the bus and the person sitting in front of you is using foul language every other word. What is the point in drawing attention to yourself by repeatedly swearing in a public place where young children can hear. I know every one swears and I'm not claiming to be a saint but their is a time and a place I just think people should be more careful about where they use foul language because its called FOUL language for a reason. I have included a link I found to a page on how to cope with your child's foul mouth from reading the article it seems that those children who are swore at or hear the language everyday are going to follow by example.http://www.theparentreport.com/resources/ages/toddler/kids_culture/836.html

Abortion

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/4720813.stm I have decided to address the controversial topic of abortion. I find this a topic which people tend to be in favor of or completely against. I don't know how everyone else feels about abortion but I feel that it is mostly addressed by the general public with quite a negative view. People tend to be under the impression that abortion is used as a means of contraception by young girls who have slept around. The situations that many are faced with when being told they are having a disabled child or are in completely the wrong situation to have a child and have actually made a genuine mistake I believe tend to be overlooked by the media. No one seems to address that for the majority of the women involved abortion is a traumatic and upsetting experience. I should imagine that after having abortion the sense of guilt must be overwhelming. 

I found a article published by the BBC about the rising rates of abortion and the amount of under 14's falling back on abortion. The reality is that the media complain about the rates of teenage pregnancy and then criticize abortion. The statistics presented and the wording of the article I believe is the reason for so much criticism of abortion. I would be interested to know if anyone has any ideas about why abortion is disliked by so many before assessing all the individual situations these women face.

Worlds Oldest Mom

Hi I found an article on the worlds oldest mom I thought it is quite interesting because the birth received a lot of media coverage and criticism. Personally I don't either agree or disagree with it and I don't really understand what all the fuss is about at the end of the day I believe as long as the child is loved thats all that matters. what is worse a woman having a child at an old age and loving it or a child being born into a uncaring family. I also find it interesting that men have children old but don't receive the same media coverage as this particular case did it also didn't receive the same amount of negative criticism I was wondering if anyone had any comments about this case and any reasons why you think the case was criticized as much as it was.http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/01/16/health/main667251.shtml://

Too Young for Plastic Surgery??

There is currently no age limit on plastic surgery allowing children to decide whether they want to modify their body. I find it bizarre that you have to be 18 to decide you want a tattoo but a teenager can decide they want a nose job or breast implants. Although you have to provide a reasonable reason to be eligible for plastic surgery on the NHS private jobs are also legal. I do understand that there are children with serious disfigurements or burns which are improved by plastic surgery but there are also cases of six year olds having their ears pinned back and 11 year olds having nose jobs. Personally I don’t think that at that age child should feel the need to have plastic surgery or be told they need it.

Having big ears or a wonky nose can effect self esteem I am not debating that but throughout life the children are going to experience a number of other things about themselves they may feel unhappy with. I think that children should be encouraged to feel happy with themselves and realise that no one is perfect. Once you fix on thing on a persons body they will always find something else to feel unhappy about I don’t think that children should feel the need to look how society wants them to look, they should enjoy their childhood and not have to worry about their image.
http://www.nytimes.com/2004/09/28/health/28cons.html

Tattoo's

I have found a study suggesting that women are twice as likely to regret having a tattoo five years on than men. The women admitted they caused them embarrassment and felt the need to cover them up. I think this research does address a sexism problem regarding tattoos and body piercing which has existed in the past and has an impact on modern views. Although I do feel that the gap between what is socially acceptable for men and women to do has closed significantly I still believe that issues such as tattoos are still approached by some with a sexist attitude.http://clinical-psychology.suite101.com/article.cfm/what_tattoos_say_about_who_you_are://

Alcohol Use

Hi, I found an intresting article regarding teenage alcohol abuse. The article suggests that consuming large amounts of alcohol increases the risk of being raped, engaging in multiple unprotected sexual relations and commiting suicide. The health risks to teenagers as a result of drinking are obvious but this article highlights some of the less obvious health risks. However underage drinking is something im sure everyone has done so is it bed or is it just bad for you???? Society has a tendancy to view something which can have negative effects on your health as a irresponsible behaviour. Smoking drinking and drug use are all seen in a negative light by many but are the people engaging in these behaviours really hurting anyone??? Personally I don't care what people do as long as they don't effect me. I also think that these people who shout about what they think is right or wrong when it doesn't even effect them should mind their own buisness.http://www.teendrugabuse.us/teensandalcohol.html

Is Lying a Product of Evolution??

Is lying a product of evolution??? Some say that it is professor Julian Keenan suggests that lying has evolved to give humans a significant advantage. He also claims that lying is genetically programmed into us and the average person tells a lie every day. With this research the morality of lying is called into question. Can we really say that lying is immoral when it is something we all do??

If we call someone immoral because they lie, then we go and tell a lie its hypocritical and I can’t help but wonder whether the pope lies??http://www.apologeticspress.org/articles/2650

Response to jay

In response to jays post on faked deaths, I do believe it was a bad thing to do. He lied to his sons and let them believe he was dead for an insurance payout. I don’t think that any amount of money is worth letting your own sons go through so much pain for so long. I would be distraught if my dad died but I think I would feel devastated if he came back years later and said he faked it for money. I think that his wife is just as bad as she knew the truth and actually watched her sons grieve their ‘dead’ father. How can a mother do that??? I feel sorry for his sons. Who needs enemy’s when you have parents like that?
By the way your spelling and grammar wasn’t that bad.http://jaysbeingreallybad.blogspot.com/

Low Self-Esteem and Bad Behavior

Psychological research has found a relationship between self esteem and violent behaviour in children. I was wondering whether these children have low self esteem and the bad gene or whether they only need the one. As I said in response to the bad gene research are excuses being made for the poor behaviour of individuals. Could it not be that we are just bad?? Does there have to be a scientific explanation for everything!! Could it not just be that the children enjoy giving people a punch in the school playground because they have not yet been conditioned by society to behave themselves and be nice.http://www.psychologytoday.com/articles/pto-20010501-000015.html

Response to Ruth

I completely agree with Ruth that the media have a negative impact on an individuals self esteem and cause people to do things which are bad for their health with the desire to be thin. I think this is bad of the media and they should accept responsibility for the influence they have on society and be a lot more careful about what they write in papers which are accessible to all. At the end of the day they need to remember that young girls are reading the articles when they are laughing at the way someone looks or pointing out how much weight someone has put on. This can have a serious impact on the way a young person views themselves and cause them to engage in dangerous behaviour.http://i-wish-philosophy-was-pink.blogspot.com/

Smoking

The NHS is making every effort to stop people smoking and help people stop. They are launching advertisements to help smokers and launching projects within secondary schools to prevent teenagers feeling the need to smoke. However an article I found suggests that smoking is a necessary evil. The taxes collected from the sale of tobacco products helps the British economy immensely. If everyone in the country suddenly decided to do as the NHS the government would loose about 12 billion pounds a year. So the question remains do the government really want people to stop smoking???

Adultery

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7844466.stm
Hi while searching the internet i found a article telling the story of a woman ho had been accused of committing adultery she faced loosing her children and deportation as a consequence. Does anyone really believe that taking a woman's children off her for betraying her husband is justified. it seems that the penalty that this woman is going to pay don't fit the crime there are murderers out there who are still allowed to see there children. I think that it is idiotic to suggest taking someone's children from them because they have been unfaithful. It also leaves me wondering whether it is fair on the children to take them away from their mother.

The Bad Gene??????

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/2165715.stm Hi I found this news article which I found interesting it suggests that their is a gene which causes bad and anti-social behavior Im not completely convinced but I suppose it could provide one explanation for people engaging in behavior which they know is bad. I was wondering if anyone had any comments on the research because it seems to me that science can find a gene for anything these days it wasn't that long ago everyone was going on about the fat gene. Does anyone actually believe it or are they just making excuses for people to make them feel better about the way they look or behave.

Lecture (week 12)

I would like to reccomend that for week 12 we all put being bad into practice and don't turn up!!