"Mr. Obama’s Historic Move on Cuba"

Sarah Gleason, 2W, http://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/18/opinion/a-new-beginning-with-cuba.html

1. The editorial’s central claim in this piece is that Obama has made the right decision in opening up the prospect of having more open relations with Cuba because doing so would be beneficial to both sides.

2. The editorial acknowledges the fact that establishing normal democratic relations between the United States and Cuba will not come easy because of the countries’ complicated history and long-lasting distrust of each other. However, the editorial argues that this is exactly why proposing better relations with Cuba was the right idea. The change has to start somewhere, and this proposition will spark a debate in Congress to begin getting towards that change.

3. I agree with the editorial’s claim. Opening up and improving our relationship with Cuba will likely prove to be both historical and beneficial. This kind of change would not only be significant politically by tearing down years of mistrust and sometimes active animosity between the two countries, but it could lead to be mutually beneficial as well. Not only could American business benefit the Cuban economy, but a growth of trust between the two countries would make Cuba one less thing to worry about. Goodness knows America does not need any more enemies with the current state foreign affairs in places like the Middle East are going.

The Rampancy of Internet Piracy

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EkkFT1bRCT0 ( everything you need to know about torrents)

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/05/sunday-review/internet-pirates-will-always-win.html (actual article)

Tristan Cilley

2W

The editorial’s central claim is that Torrenting and piracy are bad and should be looked at like a giant game of whack a mole, for example if anything were to happen to the source of torrents like the pirate bay then the internet would just do what it does best a create a new site to feed the demands. Also gives examples of piracy and perspectives on it.

EVIDENCE:

“In the arcade version of Whac-A-Mole, the game eventually ends — often when the player loses. In the piracy arms-race version, there doesn’t seem to be a conclusion. Sooner or later, the people who still believe they can hit the moles with their slow mallets might realize that their time would be better spent playing an entirely different game.”

In my opinion I think that torrenting is getting a bad reputation from piracy and is actually a very valid and useful tool for electronic distribution. There is nothing inherently illegal about torrenting. The problem is Piracy, and the fact that there is not an obvious way to stop it for the same reason stated in the article above. Some people justify their illegal downloading habits by saying that the people they are stealing from won’t miss the money because they are rich anyway. Also many of these people know that there is an extremely low chance that they will get caught and have to face repercussions. The only solutions that have been produced have been overpowered and blunt. The equivalent of threading a needle with a sledgehammer,  (aka doing more harm than good). Overall, torrenting is good, piracy is bad, and there is no clear solution for the growing problem.

Congress's Double-Edged Marijuanna Stance

Henry Jones
Period 2 White
Article link
"Congress’s Double-Edged Marijuana Stance." The New York Times. The New York Times, 10 Dec. 2014. Web. 16 Dec. 2014.

Central Claim:
The editorials central claim is that congress has been moving forward on the road to legalize marijuana passing a law that essentially legalized weed medically on a federal level, only applying to states with medical marijuana already. However, when a recreational marijuana was voted into law by referendum, passed by a large majority of D.C. residents. The senate voted to veto the law. The politicians need to stick with one direction on the marijuana legalization movement, for or against.
Significant Piece of Evidence:
The author quoted the law that passed pro-legalization, and statistics and quotes from the legalization law that was vetoed. 
Opinion:
I agree with the claim, It doesn't make sense that they should pass only one of these laws. Congress should pick a side and stick with it, however slow or fast they need to move towards or away from legalization at A rate. Standing still on this issue just doesn't make sense.

Empty Threats Vs. Real Immigration Reform

Even Laukli, 5B, http://www.latimes.com/opinion/editorials/la-ed-congress-shutdown-2-0-20141205-story.html

1. What is the editorial's central claim?

   The editorial makes the point that now that the government is majorly republican the authors make the point that republicans have to start legislating, not holding the government hostage. The main argument is around Obamas new decision to let 4 million immigrants have temporary jobs in the US because it is cheaper than trying to deport them. 

2. What is a significant piece of evidence used to support the argument? 

   The editorial uses the evidence that Ted Cruz a republican is threatening another government shutdown. The authors seem a bit more liberal and the editorial seems mostly against the republican party. 

3. What is your opinion of the claim? Add your voice. 

   I agree that there is a problem with our government but I do not think that it is only a republican problem. The real problem is the two party system and the gridlock that is a problem with our system. The reason that a government shutdown is even possible is because of the two party system. 

“India, wise up and clear the air”
Amanda Dettmann
Period 3
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/editorials/ct-climate-carbon-india-edit-1213-20141212-story.html?dssReturn&z=04096

1. What is the editorial’s central claim?
    Since India is a fairly large country, its decisions on production and the environment are critical to the rest of the world. India needs to agree to fight greenhouse gases in order to save the environment. The problem is India and other developing countries say they have the right to pollute; since these countries have recently industrially advanced, they argue that the rest of the world has been industrialized and polluting over a period of 200 years. These countries argue that they have the right to catch up, but the author disagrees. Every citizen in the world has the duty to respect the earth and take care of the environment. To decrease global warming, global greenhouse gas emissions must be reduced. If India commits to using non-fossil-fuel power like China has, the air will be much cleaner. The Chinese President Xi Jinping has agreed to use solar and wind power and cap China’s emissions. The author agrees that China is headed in the right direction and has taken a huge step forward by admitting to all its environmental problems. China has already bought green energy companies, which will provoke India to join in and help keep air clean. Debates will occur in Lima, Peru, this week for other countries to try and convince India to reduce emissions.

2. What is a significant piece of evidence used to support the argument?
    The pollution in New Delhi, India, is worse than that of Beijing according to a World Health Organization study in 2014. Although China and the United States are the top producers of carbon emissions from coal, cars, and factories, India still ranks as the filthiest country. India must reduce fossil fuels and gases from factories in order to reduce the amount of pollution that is emitted into the atmosphere. Environmental consequences have already occurred, but they are sure to increase if India doesn’t think about changing its ways. A clean earth is more important than economic growth for factories, especially in the long term.

3. What is your opinion of the claim? Add your voice.
    I agree that India has to rethink their factory system emissions and how many chemicals they add to the atmosphere each year. India does not have the right to keep increasing emissions even though it has industrialized later than other countries. We need to realize that every time we pollute, we are risking future harm to the environment. We are potentially affecting climate change and hurting wildlife. India needs to stop producing so many greenhouse gases because these gases affect the rest of the world, especially since India is such a large country. Also, India is spreading morally wrong messages to its people. India believes that money is more important than saving the earth. We cannot put a price on how important our land and planet is. India will be sorry in the future if it doesn’t reassess environmental standards. Once you hurt the earth, undoing the damage is almost impossible. Each country is responsible for protecting our planet.

Rolling Stone and Rape on Campus

Eavan O’Neill

Ms. Tommaso

Ap Lang and Comp 5B: Editorial Blog Post

December 10, 2014

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/09/opinion/rolling-stone-and-rape-on-campus.html?_r=0

This editorial was written by the Editorial Board at the New York Times. I believe there are two central claims to this editorial. Rolling Stone did major damage to the reputation of the University of Virginia when it published a 9,000 word article on an alleged 2012 rape of a student at UVA, and the school’s resistance to help this “poor girl.” The article spread nation-wide and caused much uproar at from students and families at UVA and other top Universities. Rolling Stone later came out to say they have received new information regarding the rape, and shouldn’t have published the article before delving deeper into the story. The Editorial Board stated that in reporting such an intense article on an sensitive subject, Rolling Stone should have taken more care with all of the factors and details of the story before publishing it. The Editorial Board also stated that they believe sexual assaults on college campuses are getting out of hand and overlooked. The board claims that “the lack of clarity on what is happening on campuses isn’t helping anyone, least of all victims who, after the Rolling Stone report, may unfortunately face more doubters.”

The Editorial Board at the NY Times using a piece of evidence stated by Vice President Joe Biden Jr. in the editorial. VP Biden stated, “one in five of every one of those young women who is dropped off for that first day of school, before they finish school, will be assaulted in her college years.” He got that statistic from a 2007 study conducted for the Department of Justice, which found that nearly 20 percent of women reported experiencing a completed or attempted sexual assault since entering college.

In my opinion, Rolling Stone should not have published such a insulting and harsh article before collecting all the right facts and making sure they interviewed or spoke to all sources about the alleged assault. I also believe that rape and sexual assault on college and university campuses is not treated with the proper amount of gravity. We do not recognize the staggering number of women who will be and have been raped at their school. Recognizing these issues and dealing with them properly is still a work in progress for many schools. I hope this topic/issue becomes  more widely known as a major problem our country is facing. 

Let’s Ban Tips

Victoria Messina

5B

The Boston Globe Opinion (link)

The central claim of this article is that tipping is an old tradition that should be gotten rid of. In restaurants waiters and waitresses should be payed normal wages and tipping should be eliminated.  

When tipping is in the picture, workers do not work for the benefit of the restaurant or the costumers pleasure, but so that they can make money. Tipping also promotes discrimination of costumers, if you judge that someone has more money you are going to give them better service. Restaurants who have implemented the "no tips" way have actually done better when they paid workers the normal amount. 

I agree with the points that the author has, however I think that tipping is a large part of the way we run our restaurants. Tipping allows people who would normally be making $60-80 a night make about $200. I agree that people should stop speculating weather a person will leave a good tip or not but I think if someone wants the most tips they can get they will treat everyone the same in hopes to receive the most they can.