THE NEW YORK TIMES OP-ED TUESDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2012

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NATE RUBIN

SHANICE DeMORIN Teenage Pregnancy on the Rise

Teenage pregnancy has risen for the first time in nearly a decade. According to the Department of Health and Human Services, every year around 750,000 teenagers will get pregnant and more than 2/3 of all teenagers who have a baby will not graduate from high school. Issues that continue to foster from this topic are popular television programs, which glorify their teen mother protagonists. The cause of this spike is seemingly a culmination of many factors, all of which pull their own weight and can affect our generations teens in ways they may not realize. On one side of the debate, the Guttmacher Institute says their research indicates the rise in teen pregnancy may be due to increased funding for abstinence-only programs in schools instead of promoting safety alternatives like condoms and birth control. On the other side, opponents argue the numbers are yet another reason to stop teens from having sex altogether. Furthermore, according to a study by Heather Boonstra, a member of the Guttmacher executive board suggests, still another reason could be an increase in domestic violence in teenage relationships. One third of teens say theyve been in an abusive relationship at some point, and a study in the current issue of the journal Contraception finds that women in these relationships are twice as likely to have an unintended pregnancy. Thats often because their partners coerce them to become pregnant by, say, flushing their birth control pills down the toilet or refusing to wear a condom. The big question is why do teen girls feel obligated to have sex when abstinence is an option? This question buzzes through the media in hope of finding an answer, as well. Moreover, The Secret Life of the American Teenager, has been the main topic of conversation since July 1, 2008. There have been different ideas of whether or not this show gives teenage girls a positive display of how to take care of their child or if the show was supporting teenage pregnancy. The message that young female teenagers should get from this show is that although sex may be portrayed on television or in a personal household, that doesnt mean that it should be followed. Everyone has their own judgment and free will. However, The Secret Life of the American Teenager is prime example of how not to act when under pressure to have sex. Instead of being influenced by the show in a positive way, teens think it is cool to have sex and are not aware of the consequences. Teens tend to imitate the negative aspect because they think that it is harmless. The motive behind the show is completely missed. In addition to the controversy about the television shows as having a bad influence on society, the Guttmacher report suggested that the reasons for the increase in teenage pregnancy may be more complex, including shifts in racial and ethnic composition of the population, increased in poverty, the growth of abstinence-only sex education programs at the expense of comprehensive programs, and changes in public perception and attitudes toward both teenage and unintended pregnancy. Racially speaking, among black teenagers the pregnancy rate was 126.3 per 1,000 women but the rate was 44 pregnant teens per 1,000 nonHispanic white teenagers. These statistics go to show how different views within races can affect teen pregnancy. Also, the rise of teenage pregnancy may have something to do with lack of education as well. What most teens do not realize, however, is that being pregnant as a teen can be detrimental to your health. Being a teen, you are at a higher risk of going through premature labor, having anemia, high blood pressure, and having a baby with low birth weight. Even though these risks are prevalent, they can indeed be prevented. Eating right and gaining the right amount of weight is essential. Preeclampsia is a condition where quick weight gain, headaches, having less urine when using the bathroom, pain in your lower abdomen, occurs. It is said that teens are at a greater risk of having low birth weight babies. The baby can be born with underdeveloped lungs, vision, and other issues. Because some teens are unable to obtain the proper amount of education, that can cause them to be uneducated in this aspect unbeknownst by them. It is important to know the consequences of being a teen mother. In todays society, the controversy of teenage pregnancy is seemingly on the rise. It is difficult to narrow the reasons down to one because of how prevalent teenage pregnancy has become. Parents must be willing to discuss the consequences of sex and what the possibilities are dealing with unprotected sex. Having a positive influence on a childs life can alter the way a child views certain things.

One in a Billion
When I was teaching English at Binhai School of Foreign Affairs in Tianjin, China, I used to practice my Chinese with the people making my food in the school cafeteria. One thing you absolutely must know living in China is, as a foreigner, no matter how hard the words may be to pronounce correctly, how to order food for yourself. But if I wanted to communicate anything significant, I would need to take a student with me to translate. I noticed that the same staff were there every day serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner. They never seemed to have any time off. So one day I asked one of my students to translate, and I asked the girl who makes my Jian Bing (egg and crispy fried noodle wrap) how many hours she works each day. She said she works at least sixteen hours a day, seven days a week. I asked her if she ever has any days off, and she said only during summer break for one month. Thats eleven months straight of virtually non-stop work. I couldnt bring myself to ask her how much (or rather how little), she was getting paid. I think maybe I was afraid to know. I always thought that was harsh and unfair, especially for a nineteen-year-old girl. Why couldnt she just go to school and get a good job like we do in the good ol US of A? First and foremost, she cant afford to leave her job. Her salary is so low that she will probably be living paycheck to paycheck for the rest of her life, or starve. This girl is also from the countryside. In China, people from the big cities, especially Beijing, have certain societal advantages over those from the countryside. Its called regional discrimination. Lastly, she is not particularly attractive. In America, this doesnt usually make any difference (that is, its not supposed to), but in China, where they require you to include a photo with your resume, it can make a huge difference. Now thinking hypothetically, if this girl had been from a comparatively mid-sized town with a population of approx. 1.4 million (you can imagine the difference beshe would still not likely be able to choose her own major. Most university students in China dont get to choose their major, but instead, are assigned majors at the discretion the university. As a result, she would struggle through her assigned program, studying subjects shes not interested in. As a teacher myself at a second tier university, I can say that the majority of my students were generally unmotivated to learn what they were studying. Finally after graduating, she would have to find a job in the ever-diluted workforce of the most populated nation in the world. If she could keep her job, then she would probably be working overtime every week for the rest of her life, with her only benefits being more money and a comfortable workplace. The truth is, her alternatives are probably worse. She could be doing construction like so many people from the countryside (sometimes even young women like her). For someone with her plight, she is actually not doing too bad. Someone might ask, What can I do to help people like her towards a better life? The answer is, just keep buying the things you need, most of which are made in China anyway. You will consequently be supporting Chinas cheap labor workforce, and those who depend directly on it. The more jobs there are, the less demand there will ultimately be for jobs. Therefore, considering Chinas rapid economic growth, the problem will eventually fix itself, although it may take a while for people like the girl who makes my egg and noodle wraps to feel the effects.

I think maybe I was afraid to know.

tween a town here in America and a town in China), she would have had an entirely new set of challenges, the first of which to get through high school (most children from the countryside leave for work after they complete what is our equivalent of junior high school), which in China, is designed to get you ready for the college entrance examination or Gao Kao. This is an enormous amount of pressure for a teenager to deal with, considering that the Gao Kao determines a students entire future (unlike our SAT and ACT, which I never had to take). She would then have to pass the Gao Kao with a high enough score to get into an acceptable university. This is not easy. She would most likely test into one of the second tier colleges, which have a relatively low quality of education. If on the off chance she scored highly on her Gao Kao,

Have Our Ads Gone Too Far?

By Lindsey Schnetzler Whether you are watching TV, reading the paper or a magazine, listening to the radio or simply walking down the street, you are exposed to hundreds or maybe even thousands of different advertisements each and every day. In our culture advertisements are so commonplace that we often do not realize how much they surround us, but they are everywhere. Advertising agencies especially focus on the elderly and the younger generations, including very young children. These advertisements also put education, health and other important values on the back burner and glorify things that children should not focus or spend time on. The excess and accessibility of advertisements has turned us into a materialistic consumerist culture, and is even beginning to corrupt our children. There is a free game that Apple offers on their iPad called Logos Quiz that shows a partial picture of a popular brand logo from which you are supposed to guess the brand that the logo belongs to. I happened to be playing the game while sitting next to my 7-year-old nephew and while I am not brand-savvy, he was able to recognize and name over are corrupting our children.These fast food advertisements encourage children to eat more fast food rather than healthier, more balanced diets. They entice the children with fun prizes in the meals or dessert options or even just by highlighting the fact that they have a playground in the restaurant. However, they also take advantage of the ignorant and nave nature of children. They do not mention the fact that fast food is detrimental to your health or that a lifestyle in which you eat a lot of fast food can be very expensive. All the children see are fun toys, a playground and people being happy while eating the food. Their perception is skewed due to the fact that the advertisements are intentionally being deceptive in order to make more money. Another advertising market that is corrupting and taking advantage of our children is the entertainment market. Including electronics, games, TV shows, movies and other recreational items, the entertainment advertising market spends a lot of money marketing to these children because they are so easily persuaded and manipulated. Electronics advertise their consoles and new games, computers, cell phones and other technological devices that are made to seem fun and really cool. The advertisements fail to mention the price tags, though. They also never mention that when you buy their product, they are most likely going to be making an even better and newer model within the next year or two. Basically the products the children are convinced to buy become obsolete before they are even purchased. The TV show and movie market plasters their characters all over various merchandise in order to sell items to these children who like the items simply because they have their favorite characters on them. Recreational items are created and new versions of different toys are released every few months and advertised in order to convince the children that they need to buy the newest and the best equipment available. Advertising agencies take advantage of the fact that children are nave and will believe anything they see or hear. They show all the good qualities of different products but fail to mention any drawbacks or complications. The sheer number of advertisements our children are exposed to on a daily basis just further shows that the advertising agencies are turning the childrens generations into a very materialistic and consumerist culture, which puts many more important values in last place. We should focus on our childrens education, health and well being before focusing on what society is telling them that they should want and need in order to be happy. Advertising has gone too far and needs to be adjusted before our children are entirely corrupt.

The Solution to Pollution

By Brooke Farrior There are so many advancements in technology in recent years working to better our environment and economy. Solar energy is on the rise, a breath of fresh air considering the sources of energy we use have been essentially the same for at least a generation and in need of an update. The technology of solar power is improving rapidly as private investing increases, in addition to the government interest in green energy solutions. A reliable, consistent source of energy that is in no danger of ever running out is exactly what this world needs right now. This need is satisfied through the use of solar power. Other countries have caught on to the benefits of solar power and have begun utilizing them. Spain already has solar power working at night on a commercial scale; a plant there has seven hours of heat storage. Icelands power supply went from being 75% coal thats imported to 80% hydro and geothermal in thirty years. Portugals electric grid leapt from 15% to 45% renewable resources in the span of only five years. Another positive associated with green energy is its lack of pollutants. It does not burn fuel or create emissions; it doesnt release mercury, carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxide or sulfur dioxide into the air that we breathe. There is undoubtedly long-term health concerns associated with repeatedly inhaling all those chemicals in the air that could be avoided if energy was primarily created with solar panels and the like. Most people either dont realize, or dont care how quickly our coal, oil, and natural gas supply is dwindling. It doesnt sound like a pressing issue compared to a lot of whats going on in the world right now but none of those fossil fuels are renewable resources and simply arent going to be around forever at

It truly shocked me.

three quarters of the brands by simply looking at a partial picture of the logo. The brands included various fast food restaurants, retail stores, designers, electronics companies and other various merchandisers. It truly shocked me that a seven year old knew so much about these logos and could recognize a good amount of them when he is exposed to so few resources that use advertising. Even with his moderate usage, he was still able to answer the majority of the clues. This shows how much advertising our children are being exposed to and the effect and impact the advertisements make on their perception. If my nephew was able to recognize a fair amount of brands just from moderate exposure, I can only imagine how many brands children who use media that host many advertisements would be able to identify. Fast food advertisements are some of the most widely used and are one of the main forms that

this rate of consumption. Without an alternative, society as we know it, especially in regards to energy and transportation, would crumple. Solar energy will never run out and is much more reliable. With solar energy, if your power goes out, you still have electricity. No more resetting your clocks and attempting to restore lost computer information. Additionally, solar energy is the only form of renewable power that is completely silent and unobtrusive. Even if people arent interested in bettering our world and the environment we live in, who on earth would be opposed to saving money? After the initial investment of converting to solar power (which is dropping in price as technology is improving and solar energy is becoming more prevalent), your utility bill will be much less costly due to the lack of energy used. No fuel is used in solar energy, so the cost of gasoline is cut as well. There is very little maintenance involved, and many companies offer warranties of twenty years and up, so there are hardly any additional expenses in that regard and your investment will be returned in time. Better yet, convert to solar energy and say Hello to tax breaks! Many incentives are offered for renewable energy by the United States government, including a tax credit of up to $2,000. If your solar system happens to produce more energy than you can use, a program called net metering will actually spin your meter backwards

and give you credit for the excess electricity. There has been increased media scrutiny over the solar energy company Solyndra failing, which casts a shadow over the cause of renewable energy. This dark cloud will pass however, and failure is an inevitable and important part of the process. Solar power is a relatively new concept and, understandably, will take awhile to catch on. It only makes sense for the stronger companies to thrive and the weaker ones to die out. I dont think the failure of one solar energy company is reason to write off the cause altogether and wrongfully assume that it wont make it as a popular means of generating energy in our country.Solar power systems can be installed in very remote regions. Generating our own source of electricity by powering our homes, heating our water and fueling our cars with solar power could possibly enable us to live off grid. Not needing to rely on utility companies to supply power would bring on a new sense of independence to home owners and, in the grander scheme of things, bring on the same sense of independence in regard to foreign energy sources. The capabilities of solar power far extend what it is typically being used for today in the United States. The evidence is clear: solar energy is the way of the future, we just need to embrace it as a simple yet effective way to better our planet and economy, one panel at a time.

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THE NEW YORK TIMES EDITORIALS/LETTERS TUESDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2012

ARTHUR OCHS SULZBERGER JR., Publisher Founded in 1851 ADOLPH S. OCHS Publisher 1896-1935 ARTHUR HAYS SULZBERGER Publisher 1935-1961 ORVIL E. DRYFOOS Publisher 1961-1963 ARTHUR OCHS SULZBERGER Publisher 1963-1992

The News Sections JILL ABRAMSON, Executive Editor DEAN BAQUET, Managing Editor JOHN M. GEDDES, Managing Editor TOM BODKIN, Deputy Managing Editor WILLIAM E. SCHMIDT, Deputy Managing Editor Assistant Managing Editors RICHARD L. BERKE SUSAN CHIRA GLENN KRAMON The Opinion Pages ANDREW ROSENTHAL, Editorial Page Editor TRISH HALL, Deputy Editorial Page Editor MICHELLE McNALLY JIM ROBERTS

The Business Management SCOTT H. HEEKIN-CANEDY, President, General Manager DENISE F. WARREN, Senior V.P., Chief Advertising Officer General Manager, NYTimes.com YASMIN NAMINI, Senior V.P., Marketing and Circulation, General Manager, Reader Applications ALEXIS BURYK, Senior V.P., Advertising ROLAND A. CAPUTO, Senior V.P., Chief Financial Officer THOMAS K. CARLEY, Senior V.P., Planning TERRY L. HAYES, Senior V.P., Operations and Labor

The New York Times Company ARTHUR OCHS SULZBERGER JR., Chairman Cheif Executive Officer MICHAEL GOLDEN, Vice Chairman JAMES M. FOLLO, Chief Financial Officer R. ANTHONY BENTEN, Senior V.P. ROBERT H. CHRISTIE, Senior V.P. MARC FRONS, Senior V.P., Chief Information Officer TODD C. McCarty, Senior V.P. KENNETH A. RICHIERI, Senior V.P., General Counsel LAURENA L. EMHOFF, V.P., Treasurer DIANE BRAYTON, Secretary

The Real Price of Seafood

How commercial fishing is destroying our oceans
Most people I know love seafood. It can be staple in some regions, and a delicacy in others. But over the past 100 years, commercial fishing has grown to a point where our oceans cannot satisfy the worlds demand for seafood. When it comes to living in a 1st world country, we as Americans do not even consider where the meat that ends up on our dinner table comes from. Many kinds of seafood are raised on fish farms much like beef and pork, but most of our fillets come from the good ol deep blue sea. When fisherman set out for fresh catch, instead of hooking one fish at a time like their grandfathers taught them, they spread out a massive net behind their boat and catch schools of fish. This form of fishing is called trawling. The problem with trawling is that the fishermen accidentally catch many species that they were not intending to catch. These unfortunate creatures are called bi-catch. It takes so long to sort out which fish to keep and which to throw back that most of them die from being out of water for too long. In the end, the fishermen have eliminated an entire school of fish that can no longer repopulate that area, and have slowly chiseled away at the surrounding environment. Multiply this by about 150,000 and 70 years and you will get as a remainder, the current condition of our great oceans. All of these factors can combine to create a larger problem such a Predetor Loss, which the Save Our Seas Foundation describes as, a potentially irreversible cascade of complex knock-on effects, destabling marine ecosystems to theirand oursevere detriment. The nets themselves are bad enough but the boats can even have an impact on many different forms of marine life. Leaking gasoline sinks down to fragile marine reefs and can be the catalyst for the degradation of an entire ecosystem. Many large marine mammals such as manatees and whales can be physically impaired by large boats and their propellers, but also affected down the road. Because all marine mammals much breech for air, many of them swim close to the surface. If a boat happens to drive over them, the bow can break ribs and punture lung, and the propeller can cut deep gashes in their backs. Many of these wounds are too severe and the animal will often die. These great creatures are also frightened by the sounds the boats bring with them, causing them to lose each other or veer off of their migration paths. These forms of fishing are also severely affecting the sea turtle population of both the Pacific and Atlantic oceans. The chances of a sea turtle hatchling making it to adulthood are one in five thousand. This statistic is staggering, given how long these creatures have been swimming our seas. Because of their incredibly small chance for survival, the species is extraordinarily susceptible to any major change. A species that has survived 110 million years of evolution may be completely wiped out by humans in a little less than one hundred years. The statistics are real. If bold action isnt taken, our oceans dont stand a chance.

RE: The Barnes Foundation To the Editor: I enjoyed the article you wrote about the Barnes Foundation and how the art has come to be in Pennsylvania. I loved the opening paragraph, and even the opening sentence and the way it flowed so nicely and sounded just like you were in conversation, making it that much easier to read. There was so much depth and I loved all of the history and facts that were compiled to form the storyline, and it left me feeling so bad for Johnson, as we all should. The way the critics are treating the art like a money-maker is horrible and definitely shouldnt be tolerated. I would have liked to see a little bit more of an opinion throughout the whole article, not just a list of facts or storyline about the art. It wasnt that obvious what stance you took until the last paragraph, but thats literally the only thing Id change about this article. Cortnie Schultz RE: Kentucky Baseball To the Editor: I feel that the article that ran last week in defense of the Kentucky basketball team was somewhat misguided in its intentions and failed to convince me of why John Caliparis trend of flipping players immediately into the NBA isnt essentially an illegitimate use of a universitys resources. Many people (including myself) love collegiate sports and we derive lots of enjoyment from seeing them compete, whether we are attending the games in real life or watching the televised version. People who are granted scholarships to play sports at a college are there (traditionally) for a specific reason. They help the collegiate team compete and they are privy to a reduced fee via scholarship money to attend to the school so that they can get an education. Sports scholarships exist to help people attend schools and be rewarded for their high level of athletic effort in high school. 99.9% of student athletes do not go on to professional level competition, they must graduate and face the real world. What of the players on the Kentucky team who do not possess the abilities to move on the NBA? What about the fact that the vast majority of players who make it to the NBA dont last more than a few years or toil in obscurity in a European league? Yes, Davis is a talented athlete, but he could permanently damage part of his body and be ruined as an athlete. One would hope they would have some sort of education to fall back on, most who drop out of the NBA do not possess a college degree and are quickly pushed into poverty (there are statistics to back this up) and this applies to

all pro sports leagues. There should be a standard of academic achievement that all student athletes must achieve regardless of their skill. Pro sports are enticing but often a pipe dream, even for those who get drafted. That being said, as long as Kentucky has decent grade standards and maybe kept students through their basic education, there should be little to worry about. Joe Kalicki RE: Food Labeling To the Editor: I think that your article provides a very unique perspective of the labeling of genetically modified or conventionally grown foods. I completely agree with the idea that everyone should know what theyre exactly buying. Though this might make the modified foods more expensive, which is not necessarily a good thing in this economy, it would be worth it for the sole fact that our nation (and other countries) are suffering from an overweight/obesity pandemic. You made an excellent statement by saying that if we take care of our bodies, in return, our bodies will take care of us. A point, which you may want to consider, is that with the introduction of more specific labeling, heart disease and diabetes from eating unhealthily will lower significantly. Because there are numerous disabled individuals in the United States that have their medical needs covered by government programs such as Medicare, billions of dollars must be accounted for to maintain these types of programs. This could save our county from some debt incurred by rising medical costs that our government ends up paying for. George Tapia RE: Nokia Rebirth To the Editor: It seems sad that a company that had been once so vital to the world of cellphones is now no longer necessary if only for its patents and technology that is being used by other competitor companies. But along those same lines, it seems as though Nokia has brought it upon themselves, with their poor planning and terrible advertising that came with the new Lumia 900 phone. The article did raise some questions about the future of Nokia, after its disappointing attempt at the new phone. The company really only has no where to go but up, and if it really intends on re-making a name for itself, its going to have to do a lot better in advertising, planning, and production. Allison Beckley

The Cancer Business

The exploitation must come to an end
When it comes to cancer, I am no stranger to the word. Both my father and my fathers brother are survivors of testicular cancer, and Ive had friends and neighbors affected by the affliction. Almost every person I know has in someway been touched by cancer. Cancer has become something commonplace, by no means insignificant, but most definitely widespread. There are many ways people deal with cancer, whether it be fundraisers, 5ks, raffles, and the list goes on. But all this cancer hype doesnt come without a dark side. Businesses have figured out ways to profit from cancermost notably: pharmaceutical companies. One of the largest chemical producers in the world, Zeneca Pharmaceuticals, has an interesting connection with cancer. As one of the leading distributors of cancer treatment options, it also happens to be sole supporter of Breast Cancer Awareness month. One may wonder, What would a large pharmaceutical company want with a month of philanthropy? The easy answer is: everything. For Zeneca, this month is the perfect time for advertising their products. If they take complete control over the market, they can capitalize on the increased awareness of the phenomenon, which is creating the demand for what they supply. Their motive is not to help people. Its not to save lives. Zeneca only wishes to make money off of the misfortune of others. Zeneca has, for many years now been one of the main suppliers of chemotherapy drugs. Even though there have been small breakthroughs in the science of curing cancer, none of these advances have been capitalized on because Zeneca already makes enough money with their chemo treatments. If another company figures out how to make a better product for cheaper, Zeneca will lose all of their revenue; therefore any future breakthroughs must be nipped in the bud. Not only has Zeneca been shooting down life saving treatments, they have also been promoting drugs found by the World Health Organizations International Agency for the Research on Cancer to be carcinogens. A study by the WHOIARC found that, While tamoxifen reduces the incidence of breast cancer in healthy women at risk, it doubles the incidence of uterine cancer as well as posing other significant, and often fatal, health risks, including embolisms and deep vein thrombosis. This research clearly shows that no matter the cost, Zeneca will push the FDA to approve drugs that will make them money. Since 1940, the incidence of breast cancer worldwide has been increasing at a rate of about one percent per year. Unfortunately, many companies including Zeneca see this as an opportunity rather than a tragedy. There is still hope though; Canadian researchers have developed a low cost treatment called Dichloracitate, which has been seen to eradicate cancer cells. Many breakthroughs like this are happening all across the world, its just up to the people now to chase these leads and push the bigwig pharmaceuticals to the wayside.

Killing Power
As the past twenty years have progressed, the ownership and freedom of firearm possession has become increasingly characteristic of America, specifically. There are many law-abiding Americans who proudly rally for their second amendment rights on a yearly basis. Our policemen are vigorously trained in the use and discharge of a firearm, and in many Americans eyes, and with good reason, are the best shots on the streets. This gun-ho attitude is not as common across the pond however. What many people dont realize is that British police officers are not permitted to carry a firearm. This is an artifact of old British law, which hasnt been changed for centuries. Many citizens express their discomfort with this fact, given the crime rate in Britain. With all of the complaints, one might ask, Why dont they just give em guns? Well according to a study done by BBC News, When asked, (British) police officers say overwhelmingly that they wish to remain unarmed. Many factors may contribute to this attitude. First of all, overall gun crime in Britain is very low, despite the UKs average crime rate. In two years, Britain and Wales experienced only 388 gun related injuries. In addition, over the course of the British Polices 183-year history, there have been no instances of a wrongful killing by a police officer with a firearm. It seems as if the British parliament is very apprehensive about whether to alter that record. Because British police officers do not carry firearms, they see themselves as more approachable. There is a general recognition that if police are walking around with guns, it changes things, says the director of The Centre for Crime and Justice Studies, Richard Garside. There is a history of the British people being the eyes and the ears of the police, and the last thing the British Police want, is to lose that. RE: Same-sex Marriage To the Editor: I very much enjoyed the piece written on same-sex marriage from the point of view of a cow at Chick-Fil-A. In my opinion, the piece was very well written and got its point across very fluidly. It was also an all-together joy to read since it was from the point of view of an animal that most dont think would have an opinion on such topics. I agreed one-hundred percent with the stance that Catherine took on her article. I believe that humans as a species are very complex in nature and everyone is different. I also agree that two people, regardless of gender, should have the right to be married. I think that she brought up very valid point throughout the article that touched on very real problems that two married people face and that homosexuals face as a whole. Overall, I think that the paper was very well written and that the writer had a strong connection to the piece at hand. The way the topic and argument was conveyed to me as the reader is what I think made it so much fun to read and kept me from losing my interest. Roxanne Ghezzi