Teen Ink Article

Many people are debating the gun laws recently due to many mass shootings, mainly the Sandy Hook Elementary shooting. Many ideas are being proposed about gun laws. Some people want to completely get rid of guns. Others want the gun laws to stay just as they are. But, I think something else…

Most murders were done with guns…of all sorts. For example, guns-such as handguns, rifles, pistols-account for 66.9 % of all homicides in 2009 according to the United Nations Office on Drug and Crime. Over fifty two thousand deaths by guns were deliberate and 23, 237 deaths by guns were not deliberate (in 2000). A little more than half of all gun-related deaths are suicides! In 2009, the Congressional Research Service estimated that there were about 310 million firearms in the United States itself, not including the military weapons! That sure is a lot!
Additionally, several presidents were also killed with firearms. For example, Abraham Lincoln and James A. Garfield were killed with .44-caliber pistols, William McKinley was killed with a .32 caliber revolver, and John F. Kennedy was killed with a bolt-action rifle. So, firearms were also used for murder back then…even for the presidents!

But then, guns can also come in handy in dangerous situations. For example, an incident which occurred on Friday, January 5, 2013, shows how guns can help big-time. On Friday afternoon in Georgia, an unknown man started knocking on the door of a house. A woman and her 9-year old twins hid in a closet when the intruder barged in with a crowbar and ransacked the house. The woman secretly called her husband who called 911. A few minutes later, the man found the woman and her children in the closet, but he wasn’t successful in capturing them. As soon as the man opened the door, the woman shot him 5 times in the face and once in his neck with a .38 caliber revolver. The police arrived just on time. That gun had just saved them! There are many similar incidents that have happened! So, guns can help save many lives!
“If those states that did not permit concealed handguns in 1992 had permitted them back then, citizens might have been spared approximately 1,570 murders, 4,177 rapes, 60,000 aggravated assaults, and 12,000 robberies.”
–The Lott & Mustard Study

In my opinion, only certain kinds of firearms should be restricted, like automatic rifles. We don’t need those kinds of guns for safety. Something as simple as a handgun would be fine. For example, at the incident in Georgia, a .38 caliber revolver was enough to save their lives. Guns should neither be banned nor should gun laws stay the same. The government should take action on this matter quickly because many mass shootings have been happening recently and they will continue to happen if nobody takes action.
“The only thing that stops a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun.”
-Wayne LaPierre (CEO of nation’s largest gun-rights lobbing group)

I was surprised that my article actually got published! Honestly, I'm a pretty bad writer. I feel very proud of myself!

20% Project

For the 20% project, I, along with Vaishnavi and Nandhini, am doing experiments on short and long term memory. We are thinking of conducting tests on people in this class on memory. We will be doing both long term and short term memory. We will also be researching more on the psychology of humans and their brains....especially memory. We are going to see which gender is better at which.

We aren't using many materials for this. We just need to create some tests and test people on them. 

We most probably will be facing some problems like some errors in our calculations. But, they aren't going to make us give up. 

We would probably use websites and other books. If so, some doctors can help. But as for now, we are just using books and websites.

New Year's Resolution & Reflection

I don't think I learned much about myself last year. I don't think I learned anything at all about myself. But, I had learned a lot about the world and kept track of all the news: Shootings (connecticut), elections, sandy, etc. About life, I have learned to live your life to the fullest and live each day like it's your last day. Also, I am pretty sure I learned a lot more, but, I can't think all the way back. Oh, and one more thing I learned about myself: I'm not as quiet as I think I am!

Personally, I don't believe in New Year's resolutions. Why? Well, there is no point to them. Each and everyday is different. You don't know what will be coming up. So, you may want to change your "resolution." In fact, you may have a goal for each month...or week....or even day! So, resolutions can be set up any time. If you have a goal, you don't have to wait for the next year. At the same time, you don't have to complete it very early. You should just set the goal and complete it when you feel is the best time. You don't need a certain time to set a goal. So, as you can tell, I am against New Year's resolutions.

Last year was average. I didn't think it was awesome nor did I think it was terrible. It was an okay year. Hoping 2013 will be better! Happy New Year!