@olivia-r
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Olivia commented on the post, Americans and Their Values 2 weeks, 2 days ago
Hi Konrad! I love this post because it’s something that I find very intriguing about the United States. We have so many core values that our nation was built on that still prevail today. I love how you explained self-determination, religious freedom, and equal opportunity, because these are all aspects we see in our daily life. However, I’d be…[Read more]
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Olivia commented on the post, The debt we must pay 2 weeks, 2 days ago
Audrey, this is a particularly engaging topic considering the position myself and many of my friends are in with regards to paying for college. I like the comparison with Australia because it points out the similarities between the two countries and how we can use them as an example. I would be curious to know if you think that there’s potential…[Read more]
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Olivia commented on the post, Do violent video games contribute to increasing youth violence? 3 weeks, 2 days ago
Amani, this post is incredibly informative. I too have been a part of many discussions over the effects of video games on the behavior of kids today. You make an important distinction about the question that should be asked. Surely violent video games don’t make people directly more violent, but just how much do they affect how children’s thoughts…[Read more]
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Olivia commented on the post, What Does the Word “American” Mean to You? 3 weeks, 2 days ago
Hi Audra! I love this post about what it means to be American to you. One line that especially hit me was, “If we could just unify the country by continuing to listen to opinions and have those difficult conversations while still being respectful of each other, then I believe we would have a more improved country for everyone.” I think what this…[Read more]
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Olivia wrote a new post, Elections in the United States 3 weeks, 2 days ago
The electoral system in the United States has come under fire in recent elections, and there have been debates about whether it is really democratic, or even fair. The most recent elections in 2016 displayed the
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Olivia commented on the post, We No Longer Stick Up For Each Other 1 month ago
I also don’t think that we all need to agree on something. It’s important to have different views in order to have an open mind. I would be interested to hear what you think about this article, which argues that the United States have never been divided.…[Read more]
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Olivia commented on the post, The Risk of the Anti-Vaccine Movement 1 month ago
I especially like how you point out the irony of parents not getting their children vaccinated. It provides a new insight on the topic that I hadn’t heard before. I would be interested to hear what you think of this article, which talks about how people are losing trust in vaccines.…[Read more]
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Olivia commented on the post, We No Longer Stick Up For Each Other 1 month, 2 weeks ago
Brooklyn,
You make some very important claims in this post, but without many facts to back it up. Next time, I suggest sprinkling in some evidence to support this idea. In addition, it might be beneficial to add something more than just an opinion, like give suggestions for remedies of this issue or identify other causes. It’s a good start though. -
Olivia commented on the post, The Risk of the Anti-Vaccine Movement 1 month, 2 weeks ago
This is a very well put together assertion, Sante. You have plenty of information to back up your point that makes you a reliable author. However, I think that you need to cite more of your sources and the ones you do cite need to be claimed by a website or author. Other than that, this is really good.
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Olivia wrote a new post, Are elections in the United States fair? 1 month, 3 weeks ago
The United States of America is a representative democracy in which we elect people to make decisions on our behalf. We directly elect mayors, senators, members of the House of Representatives, judges, and
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This is a very intriguing argument, Olivia. Gerrymandering is a very large issue in our current political state. It is a very big problem in Utah. Here is an example of an article that I found about how the unfair and inaccurate redistricting here is interfering with our ability to participate in democracy (https://www.sltrib.com/opinion/commentary/2018/08/26/commentary-utah-is/). I look forward to reading more from you! I enjoyed how you analyzed the situation and defined some terms that the audience might not be familiar with. Great job!
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I greatly enjoyed this information, Olivia. In particular, your final sentence that explained how “the system of our elections has had the ability to be fair in the past, but the spike in corruption and foul play has proved our elections have many shortcomings in terms of speaking for the people,” was very effective in conveying your message. In a New York Times article, (https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/04/opinion/gerrymandering-supreme-court.htm), the author explains two different ways to look at gerrymandering. I would love to hear more from you about the nature of our democracy and how that relates to voting.
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Olivia, your argument is articulate and well-researched. I agree with the fact that gerrymandering is a big problem is the US. Until gerrymandering ends, elections in America won’t be fair. I particularly enjoyed when you said, “In other words, our elections are being corroded by the people on the inside taking shortcuts or twisting the rules to help them win.” I think that it really well summarized your ideas in a short sentence. This article (https://www.fairvote.org/this_is_how_we_end_gerrymandering) explains possible solutions to ending gerrymandering. I’d love for you to read the article and tell me if you think that ending gerrymandering is a realistic goal.
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Olivia became a registered member 2 months ago
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Olivia, I greatly enjoyed this post about the elections in the United States. I particularly like your conclusion where you say, “Nine percent of elections since our founding, the will of the people has been ignored, the people haven’t represented as they choose.” Your word choice and tone are very strong and convincing, and it makes a very valid point. If the president does not represent the will of the people as a whole, there is something wrong with our election system. I would love to hear more from you about the validity of the shortfalls of the electoral system. Do you think that these are good enough reasons to get rid of the electoral system completely, or should we instead focus on reforming the system? One resource you might find valuable is the National Archives page about the U.S. Electoral College (https://www.archives.gov/federal-register/electoral-college/faq.html).