The American Farm

Since the beginning of the industrial revolution, farming has evolved into an efficient machine, leaving behind moral values in exchange for crop values. Yes, now we can produce more food for less money, but it comes at a cost. Many people believe that the nutritional value of our food has declined. Unfortunately, the FDA does too little to protect us from infected and disease causing foods. The new farming culture does not only affect humans. Pesticides and waste caused by large scale farming hurt our environment. Lastly, because our farming market is an oligopoly, the market can easily be influenced by one large, corrupt company.

Soy

Yes, many people say soy is an amazing food. Maybe it does posses many good qualities; however, taste, in my opinion, is not one of them. As for it being an anti-carcinogen, it probably is. Yet, there are thousands of carcinogens and anti-carcinogens, so I do not believe its cancer fighting properties are that impressive. Also, I have read that there is a link between soy and breast cancer. Overall, I hope people continue to enjoy their soy and I hope it helps them, but I know I will not be consuming much of it.

Health Care

I believe the United States needs a health care system where everyone is covered because not everyone can afford care on their own. Also, if the government would not decriminalize marijuana because of health care costs it might bring, then it must also legalize tobacco.

Legalizing Marijuana

In the 1920’s, the United States prohibited the consumption and production of alcohol. During this time, usage increased and crime skyrocketed. I discuss this reaction in order to disprove the point that the decriminalization of marijuana would increase its use. Since an increase in use is the only negative effect of legalization, let us discuss the benefits. 
Firstly, the decriminalization of marijuana would be the smartest financial move our government has ever made. Each year, $42,000,000,000 of taxpayer money is spent on prosecuting, policing and housing marijuana users. If we had an extra $42 billion dollars, we could hire 880,000 schoolteachers at the average U.S. teacher salary of $47,602 per year. On top of this spending cut, our government could make billions more on taxing marijuana.
However, taxpayers are not the only ones who would benefit. Cancer, Multiple Sclerosis, AIDS, and Glaucoma patients would as well. Cancer patients suffering from poisonous use of chemotherapy can have the nausea and pain relieved by marijuana’s therapeutic effects. These effects can also help patients with AIDS and MS. Lastly, because marijuana reduces pressure on the eye, it can help to treat glaucoma. 
Best of all, marijuana would no longer be a gateway drug if we were to decriminalize it. In middle schools all across the country, students are taught how horrible marijuana is. I myself considered it to be as bad as heroin and cocaine not too long ago. Then, after kids learn how horrible marijuana is, they try it. Next, they begin to think that it is not that bad, so other drugs must not be bad either. Marijuana is a gateway drug because it is illegal.

About Me

Hello, my name is Andrew Levin, and my interests come in a wide variety, from tennis to biology. Basketball and tennis are my favorite sports, but I enjoy basketball the most. Not many experiences can compare to the intensity of a close basketball game between two rival schools. Another passion of mine, science fascinates me. On the contrary, blogging will never be one of my hobbies, but I definitely recognize it as a valuable learning and communicating tool. People of all ages can use blogging in order to read about new ideas, write about their own ideas, and learn from each other. For these reasons, I believe blogging is valuable. During the next nine weeks, I hope to learn how I can maintain a healthy weight without playing sports after graduation. Also, I hope to learn about the negative impacts certain drugs could make on my life. As for my life goals, there are four things I want to accomplish: be successful, raise successful children, positively impact the world, and have fun.