Peer Project Comments

1. Tanja’s Puppy Mill Project is very thorough. She describes the situations and even an interview with a person on the front lines battling this injustice. Puppy mills are a disgrace to the United States. It really places shame on our economy to have such disasters in business. Trapping the females in horrid conditions where they are continually impregnated until they can no longer bear it any longer. Then they are sold off or killed. Neglect is common practice in these factories which were started by farmers who needed something else to sell. In addition, the Animal Welfare Act has not had much effect on these so called puppy mills. Online buyers and pet retail stores only fuel these disgraces and while the buyer never sees the horrible situation, they continue to buy without a second thought to the horrors going on behind closed doors.
2. Hunter’s Global Warming Project covered some very pertinent issues including how human’s have contributed to global warming, the scientific description of how it all works, and also notes examples of what humans can do to help fight the problem. I did not know that I could make my driving more efficient or actually help the Earth by simply using less hot water. He explained and provided enough information as not too be too scientific but to help the reader understand how humans contribute to global warming. I also enjoyed the Bigfoot section!
3. Rachael’s Cancer Project brings up a current issue involving a possible link between cancer and cell phones. The problem, as she discusses, is that in an age of technology, we have still been unable to find the direct cause of this disease and, therefore, have been unable to pinpoint a cure –causing disagreement and frustration among scientists as well as the general population. She does remind us, however, that all hope is not lost when she discusses Relay for Life. This program involves entire communities in all night relays to commemorate survivors as well as those who have been lost to or are fighting cancer. Relay for Life focuses its resources on funding the search for the cure.
4. Skip's Media Censorship Project goes into the details and problems of media censorship. I hadn't realized that censorship was such an immense topic. There are so many dangers that come with censorship because some countries might take censorship to an extreme -being able to control what the population believes and also what they think to be true. This is manipulative and, in America, contradicts our First Amendment right to freedom of speech. If we cannot freely express reality, how will we know what is going on in our ever changing world? At least we have the World Press Freedom committee which is apparently working on the behalf of citizens across the globe to preserve free and open communication between populations and amongst populations.
5. Kate's Gay Rights in Iran Project covers the horrors of being gay in Iran. I have never heard of this being an issue before but the photos say it all. Sodomy is punishable by death in Iran so gay men are prime targets for conviction in these cases. They are usually tortured and then hung in front of large audiences for their supposed "crime" which is not a crime at all. being gay is simply a personal decision which should not be interfered with by a government. Unfortunately, Iran's president has decided that there are no gay people in his country and seems determined to wipe them out, or deter them from their inclinations with horrifying lashings and public hangings. Women, on the other hand, are lashed if discovered but because they do not practice sodomy (clearly), they are not killed immediately. Instead, they are lashed until the fourth time they are caught, which is then punishable by hanging. Iran's practice violates the human right to life over something as insignificant as simply being gay. Unfortunately, the groups in Iran seeking to halt these practices have been forced into hiding at this time.