Ammunation

Though we all have the fundamental right to bear arms, I think people should only be able to own guns unless they can prove they can be responsible with weapons. I'm just one of those people who thinks that guns are better off in the hands of professionals or those who have been trained in handling a gun of any kind. Just because you own a gun does not mean you know hoe to use it correctly and that can be as dangerous as the criminals people are trying to protect themselves from.

I remember seeing a story on the news about a student in Colorado who was able to have a concealed weapon on campus at college. In a sense, I understand because of the kind of crimes that are prevalent on campuses such as robbery and rape. I believe that lethal force in self defense should only be used as a last resort, but in the heat of the moment, anything could happen, just so long that it was in complete self defense, I can't stress that enough

Firearm Laws

I think that Firearms should only be used by police officers and others with a license that represents one's ability to properly wield a gun.  Such a powerful weapon can make deciding when to use it a very tough thing, since death is such a common result, if not intention, of a gun's use.  So, police officers on duty should be allowed to use their firearm in the situations they have been trained to use them in.  I think that is appropriate.  As for personal use by any other adult... One should only use a firearm when on their own property, and only in the case of self defense. However, I do not support carrying a concealing weapon into a public restaurant or other venue such as a school.

I agree with the Castle doctrine, which states that deadly force is justifiable "when the actor reasonably fears imminent peril of death or serious bodily harm to himself or another".  

My Reflection
1. I believe everyone did their fair share and I think because of the cooperation and hard work on everyone's part made the difference. On a scale of 1to 10, I would say that everyone deserves a 10.
2. I wouldn't remove any member of the group; we all work very well together.

Showing Up - 10
Fair Share - 10
Responding to Emails and Communication - 9
Handling Conflict - 10
Being Present -10

An effective group is a group understands that:
1) everyone is entitled to an opinion
2) cellphones should only be used for class related reasons
3) Show up to the group meetings on time and ready
4) don't leave your other group mates hanging,
5) brainstorm your ideas

Group Success!!

1. I am very impressed with my group. We all did our fair share and pulled together an excellent presentation--10's for every member.

What impressed me the most was the high levels of motivation and the creativity of work from each member. We all had that common desire to nail the midterm, and we did. Nice job guys!

2. We Need More Members! We are only three at the moment but we hope to get more. For new members, I would like to see the same motivation, creativity, and work ethic my group has already.

3. We were originally four, but one dropped. So, for the remaining three:

A. 10 - Showing up
B. 10 - Doing your fair share
C. 9.5 - Being on time
D. 9.5 - Responding timely to email and communicating effectively with other members
E. 10 - Handling conflict among group members
F. 9.5 - Being present in the group -- not distracted by outside cell phone calls or text messages when the group is meeting.

There is a little polishing to do but, overall, we work very well together.

4.     The elements of an effective group:
        i.    Communication
        ii.   Motivation
        iii.  Respect
        iv.  Leadership
        v.   Creativity

Article on Group Management

Dynamics of the Midterm Preparation and Presentation

1.  Aside from a completely absent member for the whole of the Midterm's preparation and presentation, I would say that my group worked very well together.  We organized meetings at the FLC library during the week leading up to the presentation, and used other effective methods of communication and teamwork to accomplish our goals.  I think Jeff, Chris, and I all contributed our fair share.  Jeff made sure that everything was accomplished in a timely manner, and would give the final word as to weather or not a certain section of our presentation was well-prepared.  I would say I contributed as much as my two partners did during this project's preparation. The score I would give myself is a 9.  I would take a point because of my shifty approach to public speaking;  it's not my thing, but I am working on it!


2. I would remove the absent member, but the one's who participated all did a good job and I think that the three of us worked well together. Adding a member would only be beneficial, increasing the speed at which research can be done on any given topic.  If the added member did not meet expectations, it still would not have done a great amount of harm, and would not do so in the future.  


3. Rating the workplace expectations 
A.  Showing up - 9 - thanks to Google Docs and other means of communication such as Skype and Facebook's Group function, our group has always been able to easily communicate with each other during most times of the day, all days of the week.  I felt a little hesitation the night before the presentation in regards to completion of the slide, but everything worked out and the slide show was ready by 9AM.  
B.  Doing your fair share - 9 - as I said in 1) above, everyone did great and found useful data to share. 
C.  Being on time - 10 - All three of us were able to respond to question via facebook in a timely manner.  Our sole Skype meeting went as planned.  The library meetings went as planned as well.  Flawless victory.  
D.  Responding timely to email and communicating effectively with other members - 10 - Yes.  I feel I answered this in A) and C)
E.  Handling conflict among group members - 10 - No conflict that had any lasting effect on the quality of our presentation. 
F.  Being present in the group -- not distracted by outside cell phone calls or text messages when the group is meeting. - 8 - Some Facebook browsing here and there during Library time, but it was nearing the end of our meeting and things had been going well up to this point.  I considered this to be acceptable downtime however!


My five rules for having an effective group:
1. Communicate often with members to ensure that goals are clearly understood.  
2. Respectively speak out if you think there is a problem, sooner rather than later.  
3. Use Google Docs, the "Share" function made this project extremely simple, and in my opinion very effective as a presentation.  
4. Take advantage of modern technology.  Social networking makes for easy communication.  Facebook Group Chat is the next best thing to Skype voice calls.  Use both.  
5. Start preparation the day before you think you should. 


Here is the article I picked.  It has great tips that I agree with completely.  The article recognizes that being able to work in groups is an important skill.  It may be an unavoidable for many College students, such as the one's who take this specific class, so learning it is extremely important in order to earn the grade and to learn to be a more successful and confident person.

Wisconsin Assembly Approves Wolf Hunting

Associated PressA gray wolf near Wisconsin Dells, Wis.

Less than two months after wolves in the Great Lakes region were removed from the federal endangered species list, the Wisconsin State Assembly approved a bill on Wednesday that would open the way for a wolf hunting and trapping season.

The bill, supported by hunting groups, Republicans and some Democrats, passed by a 69-25 vote. It was opposed by environmental groups and the Great Lakes Indian Fish and Game Commission, which represents Ojibwe tribes in Wisconsin, Michigan and Minnesota. The tribes have significant rights in wildlife management in much of the area where wolves are found and said they were not consulted on the hunting plans as required by a treaty. State wildlife biologists also criticized various elements of the bill.

The measure now goes to Gov. Scott Walker.

A number of Democrats spoke Wednesday against the bill and sought amendments, denouncing it as “very irresponsible and anti-science.” No Republicans spoke for the bill or against the amendments.

Seven proposed amendments failed to win approval. Most were intended to soften the bill, which would allow hunting at night with dogs, lights and traps. One amendment, offered by a Democrat who cast it as a jobs measure, would have required that hunters eat the wolves they killed, supposedly creating some additional jobs for butchers and chefs.

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources would have the leeway to decide how many licenses to issue for the hunting season, which would run from mid-October through the end of February.

My View: The issue of hunting wolves has been a touchy subject in the hunting world. There are valid reasons on both sides of the debate of hunting; however, wolves have been on the endangered species list for some time now, and as soon as there's a healthy population, we decide its OK to kill some. The money generated from the hunting season could help in the smaller communities that pepper the surrounding wolf territories; however, it seems the cost might be too high. 

Medical Marijuana in the United States

Medical Marijuana Presentation

Since California's Proposition 215 passed in 1996, medical marijuana has been on the rise.  Now, sixteen states and Washington D.C. have adopted their own laws allowing those with a doctor's recommendation to use marijuana for various reasons.  I support those who want to use marijuana for medicinal purposes.  The proven analgesic effects can be effective in those with chronic pains.  Marijuana can even alleviate nausea and stop vomiting in cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy.  Due to it's schedule in the CSA, there has been an underwhelming amount of research done, and this is preventing marijuana from getting the positive attention it deserves.  Pharmaceutical companies already prescribe Marinol, which also contains THC, to those with the symptoms listed above.  It seems like the only difference between Marinol and Marijuana is who is profiting on the distribution.