Issue Connection Paper

Brittany Baron Professor Brinker English 1190 30 November 2010 Problems in the U. S. A Today Out of all the things going on in our world today, I find that our human interest naturally draws us automatically toward the unusual or what’s not normally excepted, valued, or understood. It’s more of how we were taught when we were kids or how we were raised in specific environments that sets us apart from every one, everywhere else. The issues I have connected are: legalizing marijuana, medical heroine, and the widening acceptance of Ritalin.I have looked at each issue individually and also looked at them together in different orders or groups to see what issues led to another more easily or in a more direct fashion.

As a whole I feel that mainly they’re all connected by trying to help people, either with health problems, addictions, or just to help them feel better. Jenna spoke on the issue of legalizing marijuana, Matt spoke on the subject of medically administering heroine, and Jessica spoke about the widening acceptance of Ritalin.Jenna had the issue of legalizing marijuana and stated that “847,000 people a year were arrested for marijuana related charges”, which I found to be a lot of people. People who I’m sure are not all criminals and don’t act or hold themselves in a criminal manner. At least not in societies general viewed description or image of one. It seems like this is just creating a larger problem than trying to prevent or stop it. Just like Ritalin, marijuana can be used for good or abused in the worst ways, which could lead to sickness or even worse, possibly death(worst case scenario).

She also went on by stating that “Marijuana helps with tumors. “, this I find is a great thing and can be connected to the issue of medical heroine. Both of these so called drugs are viewed as a menace and nuisance to the society. If you look at them in a more helpful and positive way, they can help many people who need it. People all over the country who struggle from a lifestyle full of pain just because of their illness can at least try to relax or live the rest of their lives in ease. Which seems morally and egally acceptable in any one’s eyes if they have a heart that feels sympathy. An addict should be looked at just like an alcoholic.

An alcoholic has a hard time telling themselves not to drink, in many cases, they cannot stop themselves and ended up drinking or drunk multiple days out of the week. If they don’t, they end up going through withdrawals and their bodies themselves are all confused and shaken up. Just like that, heroin addicts need their fix just as bad. Their brain has been overrun by this drug and pre-programmed to make the body crave and need it to function properly.Without such normality, they cannot function, they literally get involuntarily sick and cannot do anything about it but want more. At this point, I’m pretty sure there needs to be some medical action because no humans body should be put through such rigorous drastic changes as these. What Matt brought to my attention on his issue was that other countries have tried medically administering it to addicts twice a day and showed improvement or complete treatment in due time.

Except there are some negative to this also: Who would be left to pay for these facilities that the U.S has not built yet? and the 100% dose of heroin that the doctors do administer them, who pays for that? From what and who I know, addicts don’t have the money to necessarily do either. Heroine is becoming a larger and larger problem in the U. S. Matt even stated that the DEA statistically proves that 1. 2% of Americans have already tried it at least once. Not to mention, the heroine that’s on the streets could be cut with fentanyl or other drugs that can lead to death when mixed.

Just the mixture of fentanyl with heroine alone leads to multiple deaths in the Detroit area alone every year.It’s sad to think that an addict could be looking for a fix so they weren’t sick, and ended up dying because of some fentanyl-cut-drug. With the issue being as large-at-hand as it is, maybe this should be broadcast across the news and have the country vote or decide on what is right to do or not to do. We as Americans should be willing to help out our brother and sister American citizens that are in need, especially since we have no problem sending millions of dollars over seas to help other countries with their problems when they don’t involve us at all.Finally, the growing acceptance of Ritalin: is it taking over our country? According to Jessica, Ritalin itself helps control the central nervous system, relieves repulsive behaviors’, and aids levels of transmitters. These seem to be good symptoms’ and all until she explained that the drug was being given to kids as young as 3-5years old. When she went further on to explain what exactly this drug was for, it came to me as if the symptoms these 3-5 year olds were being diagnosed with, could possibly be just any young kid acting out or being themselves for that matter.

Just like any other drug such as Tylenol or Advil, on the back of the bottle they have directions or explanation of age(s) and pills per hour(s) to be consumed or given daily, any prescribed medications should be taken with caution too. I don’t care what kind of doctor you are with what level of degree you hold, I would NEVER in my right mind feed my little child(if I had one) Ritalin if the child was under the age of five years old. It seems absurd! Especially when Jessica went on to tell us that, in 1991,10-14year olds were arriving at the Emergency Room because of Ritalin.Furthermore, that it was found to cause weight loss and over 2000 thefts of it were reported in the year 2000 by the DA. You’d figure this prescribed drug would be used as a helpful tool of the medical age we have grown so accustom too, but just a like every other drug, even street drugs, can be used in both positive and negative ways. So if you step back and look at all these drugs in perspective, some may look worse than they actually are, and the ones you expected to be the more accepted because of their prescribed status could be the more dangerous.I am not saying that every case follows the last because it never does, but I think America needs to come to the conclusion that marijuana and heroine might not be as bad as they’re made out to be.

And some prescribed drugs can be abused and cause death and disaster. Take caution when it come to drugs, don’t put yourself in any unnecessary circumstance, and don’t take any chances if you don’t need to, Because doing it once could have you hooked for life. And we don’t want that, now, do we?