Violence in North America

Violence exists throughout all of North America. From major cities to tiny towns gangs, murder, and rape dwell. Causes of violent acts are arguable, but the media has been no help in minimizing disorder. Newspapers, magazines, and news shows all strive off treachery and chaos. The reality is that nobody will watch news or read about happy occurrences as much as violence. The people behind the media know this and will do anything they can to be the first on the scene to witness horrors all for ratings. Our media uses violence as an attention grabber to lure people into purchasing their products. People Magazine recently put a murder suspect on the cover of their May Issue, when the article is only a page long and the rest of the magazine is advertisements and gossip about celebrities.

Further, video games and movies have been so packed with sex and violence that the average teen sees little wrong with fighting and often the subject is made light of and is the core of many jokes. The video game Tomb Raider's heroin Lara Croft is a scantily clad killer. Her character is also portrayed by Angelina Jolie in a film based on the game, who, in order to make more money, dressed in very little to attract a large, mostly male audience. Movies have become so advanced with special effects, that war movies and such have been compared to actually being in the war when it was happening, and instead of bringing horror to the viewers, comments such as "That's so cool!" and "If I was there I wouldn't have taken that..." Movies' effects have downplayed violence so much that society refuses to acknowledge and stop our own violent problems.

Gangs have begun to spin out of control in cities once considered safe. Vancouver, B.C, one of the most beautiful places on earth has fallen victim to gang violence. Looking through the Vancouver Sun it is impossible to miss the stories about different groups being charged for gang related murder or assault. Consequences for these actions, however, fail to deter and discourage gangs from arising. Armed weapons and knives are used for fighting sometimes the most innocent of bystanders. Edmonton, AB has been notorious for gangs for years, though their issues have been more of racial gangs believing in their superiority and this belief leading to murder. Because gang members are loyal to each other, the probability of convicting gangs and therefore putting a stop to them is very slim.

Drugs have been a contributing factor to violence in North America for many years. Even in the small town of Penticton, B.C, a drug related murder occurred on First Nations soil. This put the town into a state of shock and took them a long time to recover. Violence in this area is growing as the years proceed, and many of the incidents are related to drugs. Drugs, even steroids, cause a spike in violent behavior. An increase in testosterone in a male allows them to increase their muscle mass and strength, but also increases aggressive behavior and sex drive. Because not all effects of all drugs are known, any of them could cause violent actions, and again the consequences are not enough to keep people away from such things.

George Milton

John Steinbeck's "Of Mice and Men" is the story of two friends, George Milton and Lennie Smalls, in The Great Depression. These were hard times, and throughout everything all George and Lennie had were each other. Because Lennie is rather slow and childlike, he needs the guidance of George to keep him in line and out of trouble. George is quick-witted and intelligent, but depends on Lennie's strength to keep them both employed. George acts impatient and fed-up with Lennie at times, but even then, his compassionate side comes out to ease the hurt he has inflicted upon his friend. Whenever Lennie takes personally what George has said, the only way to make it better is for George to apologize and tell Lennie that one day they'll be able to "live off the fatta the lan'," of their own ranch, where Lennie will have hundreds of bunnies to take care of. Throughout the tale, one would see George's harshness towards Lennie lessening and becoming more misguided concern. George is not as harsh as he seems, and many of the characters take an almost immediate like to him, despite his mistrusting nature. George is many things, and a loyal friend is definitely one of them. His protection and understanding of Lennie is what allows the other workers to accept Lennie.

Super Powers

When asked which superpower I would acquire given the choice, I find myself veering towards teleportation. Of course along with this particular power comes underwater breathing. If I wanted to have a picnic on the Great Barrier Reef, I would be able to do so at the blink of an eye. Teleportation is The Ultimate Superpower because of the many things it has to offer. Being able to leave or join any event of situation is a dream come true. Also, because teleportation is the art of transporting to another place, time travel is quite accessible. Some people would consider flying to be an option for a superpower. For these people I have lost respect. These people have made a joke of all Super Heroes and their profession. It is not their ability to soar through the clouds that makes them Super, it is the other qualities they possess. Superman had his incredible strength and his ability to hurdle 20 story buildings to save the day. Spiderman had his web shooting and spidey-sense which enabled him to be at the right place in the right time. Superpowers are privledges and those who are without them are for a reason, and it will remain this way for the rest of humanity. As it turns out, Super Heroes with teleportation powers were polled and were found to have the highest morality against the just-flyers.