WHY COLLEGE BECAME SOMETHING FOR ME

College was never something I dreamed about when I was growing up, and it was definitely not a choice of mine. Through the times when I began hustling and selling drugs, I never seen a future for myself that I could benefit from in the long run that dealt with me going to college, but all of that changed when I decided to change the person in me. I came to college to make a better future for myself. I wanted my family to be proud of me because all the decisions I made weren't exactly the wisest, and they would pray that I would become a better person. Most people go to college to get more education, and to better themselves, but I came because it was something that I knew if I didn't I wouldn't be the Rodney who I am today. Honestly without football in my life, I wouldn't have gone. I was not the brightest kid in high school and football gave me a chance to do something better with my life. It was not just expected of me because nobody seen Rodney as a college kid, I didn't even see me as one. I didn't expect to go to college but what it has done for me is open a lot of opportunities that I am forever greatful that I have. If I didn't go to college, I would have considered being a barber because I learned through  my grandfather, but then football turned everything around for me. College makes way to relax my mind, it helps me forget about a lot of things that I went through. This class honestly helped me a lot with overcoming a lot of my circumstances, so I guess by going to college, I got more than what I actually intended on getting and that always works for me!

My Research Writing Process

 When it comes to research, if there isn't a topic given, I try my hardest to come up with a topic that I will be intrigued to write about and what I think my readers would enjoy reading or won't have any problems understanding it. I look either online for some topics, or I ask around to see what is something that I can write about that is interesting enough. After I have done that, I do some research on that certain topic, and try to get some ideas on what point I will potentially make throughout my paper. I look to see if I would have enough to talk about, or if it'll sound like I don't know what I am talking about, which can be totally obvious. Once I know what my topic is and I find a good amount of research that'll keep my paper up to par, I write out some things on a piece of paper. Random things that corralate with my topic that I will use somewhere down the line in my paper. My greatest thoughts come out of no where. When I am in the car going to the grocery store, or the bank, or just waking up from bed, and those greatest thoughts are the ones that always seem to work when I draft my paper. The topic in which I selected has to do with the death penalty, and if it is an effective one. I am passionate about this because I have experienced lost loved ones that have died by the gun and other circumstances, but I don not believe by killing that person whether it was in cold blood, intentional, unintentional or anything should be able to be sentenced to execution. There is no morale in that. Why sentence somebody in their death because of their mistake? Yea, it may have been ignorant or they did it for the heck of it, but the outcome shows this:
It just doesn't make any sense to me.

Logical Fallacies

There were and are many times I would use fallacies when I am arguing, especially with my girlfriend. We seem to argue because of these "logical fallacies". I can talk about something with her, and then I stop because I can see the confused look on her face. I then say, "babe, you won't understand what I am saying if I tell you, so just leave it alone." And without any hesitation at all, she will blurt, "so you trying to say I am stupid and that I don't comprehend very well?" In no way shape or form did I intend to call her stupid, but the way she interpreted it was as if I was trying to call her that. The logical fallacy in this predicament is the misinterpretation one. It always get in the way of our relationship, but sometimes it gets funny and we just work it out.

Fallacies I know that have worked on t.v. are the many things I see on commercials and stuff. Some commercials that say things on the lines of, "if you use this product, you will lose weight fast!" Fast acting diet pills that you will take and allows you to eat anything you want, and lose the pounds you want! The thing about this is, is that in fact you will not lose the pounds you want in certain areas that you want to target. The commercials work because people do allow themselves to get lured by the persuasion of the product and totally look over the fact that "this product is not made for everyone." Or, it is "for certain body types only." It always seem to work and then when they announce that "if you call between the next so and so minutes that we will add in an extra bottle of the product" or "if you do not like this product, we will give you your money back guaranteed!" With listening to all of that, one wouldn't think that they would be losing, but they are. Commercials like that are very ineffective to me.

In some ways, logical fallcies work, and many ways they don't. The big giveaways to some is they contradict itself. Everyday there are logical fallacies being used in everybody, every commercial, every political campaign, every argument. Honestly, what would the world be like without any?

Stand Your Ground

In Florida, we have a law called the Stand Your Ground Law that was established in 2005, and it simply states that, "a person may use force in self defense when there is a reasonable belief of a threat, without obligation to retreat first." I can totally understand this if it was actually used effectively. In a lot of cases in Florida, there were many lives taken, and because of this "law" many killers have been able to walk away freely without a trial, without booking, without questions being asked. There was an incident that happened in February, approximately 41 days ago that involved an innocent 17-year old boy walking home to his gated community from a nearby 7-Eleven store. He had on a hoodie and in one hand a bag of skittles, and the other, a can of Iced Tea. A community watchman thought this young man looked suspicious and began to call 911, and immediately proceeded to follow him which he was not ordered to do by the police, or anybody for that matter. As he began to get closer and closer, the 17-year old boy feared for his life, and began to scream "Help, help me!" A person, a neighbor or someone nearby called the police and to report what they were hearing and in the 911 call, you can hear the little boy cry out, whining for help and then a sudden shot being fired. The crying finally stopped for that night the little boy was killed. Police in my opinion have not done enough to ensure that this man was prosecuted for what he has done. They took the watchman's word over anything else that they failed to investigate. The watchman said that he shot the boy in self defense, and because of that, the man walks free. What I do not understand is how are you defending yourself, if the boy that he killed did not have a concealed weapon on him and you go after him intentionally even though orders did not permit him to do so. This is really brought to my attention as a matter of injustice. This is very sad. There is a killer around that the police freed after killing a young man that appeared to have on a hoodie, a bag of skiitles and a can of Iced Tea. Something isn't right, something doesn't add up. Some people believe that the law should be repealed and I believe this as well for it gives killers a right to kill and get immunity for it. In this case, it was not a Stand Your Ground and they are taking action as if it were. I fear this law because it could have easily been me, my younger brother, or anybody. I wear a hoodie at times, I like skittles and I love Iced Tea, so will I be a victim and my killer be set free due to an unjust law?