Attacks in Paris

http://www.cnn.com/2015/11/15/travel/paris-travel-advice/index.html?eref=rss_travel

I know I talk a lot about guns and shootings, but this definitely doesn't seem like a topic that anyone should ignore.  This attack has affected almost everyone in the world.  One of the most known cities, a city that lots of people dream of going to has had the most unfortunate thing happen to them.  Just like 9/11, these events bring everyone together and support each other.  It's very sad that this happened to Paris, so many lives lost, the Eiffel Tower shutting its lights off to pay respect to all the lives that were taken that horrible night.  These terrorist groups really know how to hit people where it hurts the most.  How can a group of people have so much hate, to turn such a beautiful city, into a city of horror and sadness.  I pray for the lives lost and the families and friends who lost these people.  I know France will overcome and not allow the people we lost die in vain and whatever they need to do, whether it be canceling flights, closing the borders, etc. I support them 100%.  God Bless France and any other country affected by these terrorist.

Food and what it does to us.

http://www.cnn.com/2015/10/23/health/pizza-and-other-foods-addicting/index.html?eref=rss_health

I found this article to be pretty interesting.  When I met my wife she had and still has led a healthy lifestyle, and she introduced that to me.  So it really doesn't surprise me that studies show certain foods, particularly processed foods are can be addicting.  My wife and I watched this documentary called "Fed Up", and it explains how the body reacts to sugar.  Some food products will have low calorie content, but in order to make it taste good, they just add a lot more sugar.  It also went as far to explain that sugar is sugar, whether it be honey, agave nectar, Sucralose etc. its all sugar, and it all makes your brain react the same way.  They compared how a brain looks while on drugs (I believe it was cocaine) and how your brain reacted on sugar, and sugar reacted similarly to the brain on drugs.  So, yes, it is possible to be addicted to certain foods based on the amount of sugar in it.  We believe the more we pay attention to what we put in our bodies, the better we feel.  We don't get as sick as often or feel sluggish.  Of course we splurge, but throughout the week, we make sure we have our meals throughout the day covered, whether it's leftovers, or we go grab a salad from the store.

Shooting at a Public Event

http://www.cnn.com/2015/10/18/us/zombicon-shooting-fort-myers-florida/index.html?eref=rss_latest

It seems as if every other week there is a new story about an active shooter.  This goes back to my last blog post, there should be stricter guidelines when it comes to purchasing firearms.  It shouldn't get to a point where anyone should be concerned about going with family or friends to a public event.  It's even more disturbing because on this unfortunate event, the accused wasn't even found, leaving it open for him/her to strike again.  I personally am a lover of guns, and I do believe in the saying "guns don't kill people, the person behind the gun does."  I will stick to my thoughts from my previous blog post about it being hard to spot out the "creeper" who is planning a shooting spree, but I do believe that when trying to purchase a firearm, there should be a thorough check, from criminal history all the way the medical history.  I also believe that the security checks for any event should be completed.  The host of this particular event was very apologetic, however, I wonder, with 6 entry/exit points, how was the security being done.  Especially when someone can go to this event, open fire, kill one person and injure 4-5 others, and then leave undetected.  It is unfortunate that it has come to this, but security measures definitely need to be looked at more serious.  The difficult part would be determining where and when, because these shootings happen anywhere from schools, churches, movie theatre, military installations, etc.  I just find it very sad that people have to be worried about taking their families to a place made for fun and good memories, potentially going wrong.

How did they get their guns?

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2015/10/03/us/how-mass-shooters-got-their-guns.html?_r=0


When you read the article, most of these active shooters purchased their guns legally, despite the fact that some of them had mental illnesses.  My question would be, how thorough are these background checks? I just purchased  my first gun in Virginia, and though I don't have a criminal background, it took approximately 10 minutes for them to get back with me.  I thought it was funny when my wife was asking about purchasing a weapon, she was told she couldn't.  For one reason, she isn't a Virginia resident, despite her being on active duty military orders.  She either had to be a Virginia resident or her orders had to show she is stationed in Virginia.  My next question is, what disqualifies a person from purchasing a weapon?  When the background checks are conducted, what are they looking for that disqualifies someone.  One individual had a drug charge and another had an assault charges, and they were still able to get a gun.  I am a gun owner, and I enjoy going to shooting ranges, but for shooters who got the gun from their parents, I believe there needs to be some serious gun control, locked up and hide the key.  It's pretty much impossible to determine if a person you pass by or even someone you see regularly will open fire in the crowd.  As inconvenient as it may be for a lot of gun lovers, I think it would be wise to have stricter rules when purchasing a gun.

Down Syndrome Abortion

http://www.cnn.com/2015/09/19/politics/john-kasich-down-syndrome/index.html?eref=rss_latest

This article interests me because of the fact that my wife and I are expecting our first child.  The technology is amazing these days.  Doctors now give you the option to see if your baby will have down syndrome, and also give you the option to abort the baby if it turns out that it does.  While in Germany, my wife and I were given the opportunity to take this test, and although I was curious, my wife automatically declined.  She said she didn't care if he had down syndrome or not, that's our baby and we will love him no matter what, and I agree with her one hundred percent.  Ultimately, I feel there should not be a law passed to ban aborting your child if he or she has down syndrome, that's all personal preference.  Who am I to say someone shouldn't abort their child, especially if they can't provide for their needs.  People have their own reasons for abortion whether it be because the woman was raped, not financially stable, or just to young to care for a child, there are so many reasons that shouldn't be anyones concern except for the parent or parents who decide what they feel is right for them.  Personally, I haven't been in a position to where I was faced with that decision, but I do know that there would not be a reason for my wife and I to ever feel the need to abort our child.  We even had the discussion if it were her or our baby (even though I hate the thought) whose lives were on the line, we need to have a plan in place to decide what we would need to do.  To sum up, I don't feel it is necessary to ban abortion for any reason, and you shouldn't take that option away from the people.

Guns seized and 5 arrested in D.C.

http://www.wusa9.com/story/entertainment/television/programs/lets-be-real/2015/09/04/10-illegal-guns-seized-5-arrested-dc/71692748/

I found this article interesting, because it is an ongoing topic in America. The United States has the most mass shootings, guns violence all over the world. The article talks about an incident which occurred in Washington D.C., where at least 5 individuals were incarcerated and 10 firearms were seized. Gun laws in the District of Columbia regulate the sale, possession, and use of firearms and ammunition. Even the state of Maryland has restricted gun laws, which also includes increased background checks. The question is, can we stop/decrease gun violence due to increased background checks? I totally agree. In multiple countries, shooting is sport, firearms are also included in different olympic games, like biathlon. There are so many law abiding citizens who just like shoot, the competition against others, or those who just want to protect their loved ones from a home invasion. On the other side, there are people with mental issues who shouldn't be in possession of a firearm. Research has shown, that almost all mass shootings in the United States were initiated by individuals with metal issues. Do background checks or the prohibition of firearms prevent criminals from having them? I don't think so. There are so many illegal, unregistered firearms in the United states which couldn't be tracked. Gun violation and gun trafficking is a serious issue in America that hopefully can be prevented one day.

Introduction

Hello everybody! I would like to introduce myself to you. I am a German citizen and I was born in a small city on the border between Germany and France. In addition to my native language I started to study English. After graduating high school in 2001, I started a doctrine in graphic design and joined the German Armed Forces after I graduated in 2004. Currently I am a student at Prince George's Community College where I am expanding my English skills. My goal is to earn a Bachelor's Degree in Criminal Justice and join the United States Air Force as an officer. My hobbies are shooting, traveling and spending time with my family. In my spare time, I like to travel to different places together with my wife. I really like the United States, and I anticipate to grow old here. To sum up, I am an outgoing, respectful, and helpful person who enjoys life.