The movie “ Wedding Crashers” is similar to William Shakespeare's “ Taming of the Shrew” in the sense that two guys fake their identities in order to meet women. “Wedding crashers” is a romantic comedy about two guys, John and and Jeremy  who frequently crash weddings in order to meet women. In order to do this, they often have to lie about who they are in order to seem like they were invited to the wedding. This is similar to “Taming of the Shrew” because in the play the characters Hortensio and Lucentio pretend to be different people in order to be with a woman, Bianca. In both “Wedding Crashers” and “Taming of the Shrew” men lie to women about their identities in order to be with them, and this causes conflict for them. It ends up working in wedding crashers, when John successfully gets a woman named Claire to break up with her boyfriend.  Lying in relationship can cause conflict, and may result in successful or failed relationship as seen in the contrasting results of “Wedding Crashers” and Taming of the Shrew” .

In “Taming of the Shrew” Lucentio and Hortensio plan to disguise themselves as teachers in order to be with Bianca. They both collaborate in this scheme to try and be with a girl.

“ You will be schoolmaster and undertake the teaching of the maid: that’s your device.” Tranio, Act 1. sc. 1, 196-198

They are agreeing to work together to disguise themselves as teachers in order to get to, and potentially marry Bianca,  because the plan won’t work for either of them if they give each other away. But their is some competition between them, as they both want the same woman. They have a mutual understanding that allows them to work together, but in the end, only one of them can marry Bianca.

In “Wedding Crashers”John and Jeremy are also planning what their disguised identities are going to be. They need to do this in order to meet girls at the wedding.

John plans the backstory to be “We’re brothers from New Hampshire, and we’re venture capitalists.” John (left), 23:34

John and Jeremy have to plan false identities in order to meet women, just like Lucentio and Hortensio. They are collaborating in order to do this.John and Jeremy’s cooperation with one another, however is stronger because they are not competing for the same woman, like Lucentio and Hortensio.

Lies are often seen through, and the truth is revealed. If Lucentio wants to marry Bianca, she has to find out who he really is. He quietly tells her during a philosophy lesson who he really is and what his intentions are. He does so discretely so that Hortensio will not hear.

“ His ibat, as I told you before, Simois, I am Lucentio, his est, son unto Vincentio of Pisa, ⎾Sigeia⏋tellus, disguised thus to get your love, Hic steterat, and that “Lucentio” that comes a-wooing, Priami, is my man Tranio, regia, bearing my port, celsa senis, that we might beguile the old pantaloon.” Lucentio, Act 3. sc. 1, 33-39

The charade of Lucentio and Hortensio being teachers was only meant to be temporary. The plan was to use the disguise in order to meet Bianca, and then one of them would marry her. At some point the truth would have to revealed.

In “ Wedding Crashers” Claire, the girl that John is in love with, finds out about who he is before John gets a chance to tell her. John admits everything later, because if he wants to have any chance of being with her she has to find out who he really his.

“For longer than I care to remember, my business has been crashing weddings. I crashed weddings to meet girls.”

This is similar to taming of the shrew, accept for the fact the Claire found out who John was before he admitted it. John did eventually give her the full story of his situation though. When these people lie to meet women, they eventually have to reveal their true selves in order to succeed.

Bianca doesn’t want to marry Lucentio after he admits everything. She tells him that his strategy for trying to be with her was foolish and ineffective.

“ The more fool you are for laying on my duty.” Bianca, Act 5. sc. 2, 143

Lying to a woman in order to be with her did not work for Lucentio nor Hortensio. Lying can cause conflict, and can damage a potential relationship.

Things work out better in Wedding Crashers. When John admits who he is, Claire quietly takes it in. Her boyfriend, Zack shows the general feeling that everyone, including Claire, has about John at that moment.

“ This congregation really doesn’t care about how depressing your life is, John.”  Zack, 2:29:02

Claire initially feels like John is pathetic after he tells her who he really is. She doesn’t want to be with him at first, but she eventually changes her mind. Lying worked for John in “ Wedding Crashers” in the end because he ended up worth Claire.  

“Taming of the Shrew” and  “Wedding Crashers” shows that with lying comes conflict, because the person being lied to feels betrayed. This is a risk factor in lying, but sometimes lying can actually work, as seen in “ Wedding Crashers”. Lying is a gamble, and one must decide if they are willing to take the risk.
Sometimes it is seen as the only popular course of action, like it was  in these two stories. Society does not condone lying in relationships, but sometimes it can actually work in establishing a successful relationship.

Works Cited

Shakespeare, William. The Taming of the Shrew. New York City: Folger Shakespeare Library, 1992. Print.

Wedding Crashers. Dir. David Dobkin. Perf. Owen Wilson, Vince Vaughn. New Line Cinema, 2006. Online.

Analytical Essay:

Trauma can have serious effects on a person. People are place under high levels of stress, and this stress makes the experience difficult to handle. Often times if the stress is high enough, and can affect after the event had occurred, sometimes for long periods of time. And can change the person, and their perception. If a person is placed in a new environment the stress of trauma can make it difficult for them to readjust. After a traumatic experience, it can be difficult for a person to adjust to their world’s changing.

The novel, “The Yellow Birds” written by Kevin Powers, depicts a fictional character named John Bartle, who is  soldier fighting in the Iraq war. John experiences a lot of emotional trauma during the war, and has a difficult time readjusting to civilian life. When he returns to America, it is completely different for him. People in America have a different perception on the war than he has. At an airport bar, shortly after he returns to the U.S. Bartle is given a free drink by a Bartender.  

“ On me”. He smiled “It’s the least I can do.”

“Forget it. I want to pay.” I didn’t want to smile and say thanks. Didn’t want to pretend I’d done anything except survive.” (p.107)

The Bartender thinks that Bartel has done a great service to his country, but Bartle just feels guilty about it. This makes him feel alone in this new world, and shows how it is difficult for him to adjust to it.   

Fighting in a war is often very traumatic for soldiers. The stress of risking one's life, ending others, and witnessing death can weigh heavily on a person. The stress, anxiety and guilt are common emotions that soldiers experience under extreme circumstances. After returning from war, many soldiers experience a condition known as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). It is evident in “The Yellow Birds” that Bartle is suffering from PTSD because he is emotionally damaged after returning from the war. This condition is a mental health issue in which the person feels the anxiety and stress of war long after combat when they aren’t in any real danger. The stress of a traumatic experience stays with the person long after it occurred. This changes them, and thus changes the world around them in their perspective.

Post-traumatic stress disorder occurs long after a traumatic event, or series of events has occurred. It harmfully affects the mental state of the person. In “ The Yellow Birds” Bartle had PTSD. He closes himself off from other people, and spends most his time isolated in his home. He wallows in his unhappiness, and does little physical activity. “ I had deteriorated more than one might expect in the short time I’d been home.” (p.131) Both his mental and his physical state are being harmed by PTSD. He is not adjusting well to his new world because it is difficult to do so.

Dealing with PTSD cans be difficult, and sometimes people with them can fall into depression. Bartle gets depressed in “The Yellow Birds”. He is depressed for a long time, and eventually it just becomes a way of life for him. He has adjusted to his new world, but in the wrong way. He has given up on trying to make things better, by accepting that they will be bad, and just living with it. “ There were times I’d been pleased with my ability to give up, to forget, to wait” (p.181) He is using this method to deal with his changing world.

The author of the Yellow Birds, Kevin Powers is an Iraq war veteran. “The Yellow Birds” is fictional novel about a fictional group of soldiers, and is not directly based on Powers’s war experience, the author did have knowledge of what it is like to fight in the Iraq war, which were incorporated into the book. Powers experienced many of the post war emotions that Bartle experience. Bartle’s inability to accept that he has a problem and give up was experienced by Powers as well. In an interview he stated “It's always easier, in the short term, to pretend like nothing's wrong.” But in the long term, this is an unhealthy way of dealing with PTSD. Kevin Powers’s war experience allowed him to accurately describe the post war emotions of soldiers in his novel.

The same world can be different to different people if it is seen with a fresh perspective. If something happened in that person’s life before returning to this old world, their view on life may be different. Trauma can sometimes cause this. In war, soldiers returning home often have to adjust to seeing their old world through a new perspective, effectively making it new world for them. Thus can be challenging to handle, as shown in Kevin Powers’s “ The Yellow birds”. The stress of trauma makes it more difficult to readjust to a changing world.

Works Cited for Analytical Essay:

Powers, Kevin. The Yellow Birds: A Novel. New York: Little, Brown, 2012. Print.

Powers, Kevin. "KEVIN POWERS, IN AND OUT OF CONFLICT." Interview by Alice Whitwham. DKNY n.d.: n. pag. Print.

Narrative Essay:

After going through something stressful or nerve racking, a place where someone used to feel comfortable can make a person feel tense and on edge. This can happen after something bad happens there, and the person fears that it will happen again. This happened to me when I walking in the woods. When I was thirteen, I spent a lot of time walking in the woods alone. It was a place to escape from the world and relax. But one day, that relaxed atmosphere changed. I encountered a dangerous situation in the woods, which after the event had occurred had made me anxious. This turned my relaxing retreat into a danger zone. My traumatic event changing my world in the woods.

When I was thirteen, I spent a lot of time wandering the woods alone. I did it because I enjoyed the outdoors, and it was relaxing. I could let my mind wander, and escape the daily stresses of being a teenager. But on a cold snowy day in january, this relaxing place became dangerous. I encountered a pair of aggressive stray dogs, which although not very traumatising, left me a bit shaken, and nervous about returning to this place.

There was maybe three inches of snow on the ground on that cold winter day. Despite the relatively light snowfall, school had been canceled for the day. Since there wasn’t enough snow to sled in, I decided to spend my afternoon hiking in the woods. It may have been cold and miserable outside, but I wanted to take advantage of the emptiness and the amazing view of the snow on the forest floor and trees. This tranquil hike would actually prove to be stressful and nerve racking.

With my jacket and boots on, and a granola bar in my pocket, I set out for a particularly scenic trail, high up on a steep hillside overlooking the creek. The hike was relaxing until I saw that my path was blocked by two huskies, standing there looking at me. Huskies are actually one of my favorite dogs, they are normally loving and friendly. I expecting hem to start wagging their tails and come over to me but they just stood there and stared meaningfully. The larger one started to bark and growl. I knew that they were not going to be friendly. Now nervous, I anxiously waited for their owner to arrive, but they never did. I was alone in a snowy forest, with two large feral dogs, and they were angry.

I decided to turn around and walk away, to avoid confrontation. I dogs followed. I gradually quickened my pace, and then broke in run. This was a foolish mistake, the dogs began to run, and soon caught up with me. One barked loudly and barred it’s teeth, with no other options, I just yelled at it. It stepped back, but did not leave. The two dogs kept pursuing me for about a mile, catching up to me, trying to bite and then backing down. I remained unhurt, but they were waiting for their chance to sink their teeth into me.

Eventually I made it to a parking lot where a group of cross country skiers were hanging out. The dogs were nervous about this large number of people and watched us from behind the trees. Feeling safe at last, I quickly walked home. I didn’t want to go back to the woods for fear that the dogs would still be their. I was clearly encroaching on their territory, and I feared being met with the same retaliation if I did it again. I eventually did go back, but I was always looking over my shoulder, fearing that the dogs would find me. The calm, relaxing forest was no seemed dangerous. My mind didn’t wander as easily, because so much as the snap of a twig would make me anxious.

Eventually I adjusted to this new world. I did some research on dog attacks, and I started carrying branches and even a knife in my pocket with me on hikes for defense. Eventually when spring came, more pedestrians also began hiking in the woods again, so I assumed that the dogs good scared and left, or that someone reported them to animal control or something. My world was safe again, but not just because the problem was eliminated. I no longer feared any animal, because I knew that I could handle it. Learning to cope with the situation allowed me to adjust to world that had changed after a dangerous experience.

When the dangerous situation occurred, I realized that stray dog attacks were a legitimate danger of the local woods. Upon realizing this, something that I never even thought about became a fear of mine. This brought fear into this world of mine, and that changed it. I had difficulty adjusting to this fear. The only way to adjust to this new risk that had presented itself was to stop fearing it. I did this by preparing myself, and having confidence in the fact that I could overcome it. By not fearing the recurrence trauma, one can adjust to a new world that changed by it.

The United states is a first world country, with a relatively wealthy population in comparison to other countries. The country is considered an upstanding and prospering nation. However, the United States has the highest incarcerated population of any country in the world. The American criminal justice system has caused this large and growing amount of prisoners. The United states has an overly high incarceration rate, which is due to severe prison sentences of specific groups of people for drug related crimes, and a poor criminal reformation system which keeps them trapped in the prison system.

The United States has a population of over three hundred million people, making it the third most populated country in the world. Despite being less than a third the size of the two most populated countries, the United States has the world’s largest population of incarcerated people, around 2.3 million. More than 0.7% of Americans are currently incarcerated. One percent of adults over the age of eighteen in the United States are currently in prison. (NY Times). The fact that the United States criminal justice system puts so many offenders in prison causes the country to have an overly high crime rate because so many people are convicted.  The way that it’s criminal justice system works is what is causing this high population.

The amount of prisoners in the U.S. has increased over time. This increase isn’t entirely due to an increase of crime overall, rather the increase of a specific type of crime that has been greatly penalised by the justice system in recent years. The United states illegality on the selling and usage of certain drugs has resulted in a massive increase in the number of arrests.In 2012, 1.55 million people were arrested on drug related charges (Drug Policy.org). Penalties for drug related crimes can be severe, and have resulted in increases in the number of arrests. Introducing a new type of crime by placing such heavy penalties on drugs.

The goal of prison is to punish criminals. Ideally prisoners should leave prison with a changed attitude towards their crime, and hopefully will not commit one again. Often this isn’t the case. 68% of all released prisoners end up back in prison within three years of their release. This proves that the prison system is ineffective for most people. This is because the punishment of felons doesn’t always help them. Incarceration might make someone more wary of committing a crime, but they often they have no other ways to make a living but to live a life of crime, and that doesn’t often change after they get out of prison (Barrish). United states prison’s often do not reform criminals. Prison is a harsh place, and prisoners may feel alienated and depressed. But these emotions don’t always serve as a punishment, rather they just negatively affect the mental health of the prisoners, which doesn’t help to reform them. If anything it can make them feel like outcasts of society, which does not aid them to be productive members of it.  Also being surrounded by other criminals creates an atmosphere of concentration crime, and that doesn’t help prisoners to get away from that lifestyle (Henry).

“In seeking to severely penalize the criminals away behind safe walls actually provides them with the means of greater strength for future atrocities glorious and otherwise.” Jack Kerouac, author and former prisoner.

This is why prisoners usually end up back in the prison system.

Targeting specific ethnic groups, while unjust is an effective way of arresting a lot of people. There is racial profiling in the U.S. criminal justice system. Police specifically target neighborhoods with high black and hispanic populations, thus arresting more blacks and hispanics. Only fourteen percent of drug users are black, but forty five percent of people incarcerated for drug related offenses are black. White’s and Black’s use and sell illegal drugs about the same amount. That means that a greater percentage of blacks are being are being arrested for a crime than whites, when both actually commit the crime at the same rate (Rushing). This shows that police are racially profiling blacks. Targeting these ethnic groups has caused an increase in prison population because the police are paying a lot of attention to areas with a concentration of crime caused by non-white people. This racism allows the police to target these areas and arrest a lot of people from them.

The high prison population in the United States has to do with the fact that to many people are being sent to prison for too long, and too many people are returning after they are released. The country is trapped in a cycle of high incarceration rates. Providing for these 2.3 million prisoners is expensive and is costing taxpayers a lot of money. The police cracking down on drugs, and targeting groups of people who use them is resulting in a large number of arrests. Many prisoners are not becoming productive members of society, they’re just trapped in this cycle of crime, which will keep hurting society, both socially and economically.

Works Cited:

1. Barrish, Cris. "Study: 8 in 10 Released Inmates Return to Del. Prisons."USA Today. Gannett, 31 July 2013. Web. 30 Sept. 2014. <http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/07/31/delaware-prison-recidivism/2603821/>

2. Henry, Stuart, Ph.D. "Defining Punishment and How It Works." On the Effectiveness of Prison as Punishment. Wayne State University, 24 Oct. 2003. Web. 30 Sept. 2014. <http://www.is.wayne.edu/StuartHenry/Effectiveness_of_Punishment.htm>.

3. Liptak, Adam. "U.S. Prison Population Dwarfs That of Other Nations."Nytimes.com. New York Times, 23 Apr. 2008. Web. 30 Sept. 2014. <http%3A%2F%2Fwww.nytimes.com%2F2008%2F04%2F23%2Fworld%2Famericas%2F23iht-23prison.12253738.html%3Fpagewanted%3Dall%26_r%3D1%26>.

4. Rushing, Keith. "The Reasons Why So Many Black People Are in Prison Go Well Beyond Profiling." The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 23 June 2011. Web. 30 Sept. 2014. <http://www.huffingtonpost.com/keith-rushing/the-reasons-why-so-many-b_b_883310.html>.

5. "Drug War Statistics." Drugpolicy.org. Drug Policy Alliance, 2014. Web. 30 Sept. 2014. <http://www.drugpolicy.org/drug-war-statistics>.

6. "Population of All Countries of the World / All National Populations Largest to Smallest - Worldatlas.com." Population of All Countries of the World / All National Populations Largest to Smallest - Worldatlas.com. Worldatlas, n.d. Web. 29 Sept. 2014. <http://www.worldatlas.com/aatlas/populations/ctypopls.htm>. Web. 30 Sept. 2014.

Jim walked through the doors with a big smile on his face. He felt confident and prepared. He was up half the night finishing the outline for the advertisement. He normally wouldn’t have worked so hard on an outline, but he felt that this particular one deserved the effort. After all, this wasn’t just any ordinary advertisement he and his firm were creating. This wasn’t just an ad for some stupid product or service, like a kitchen appliance, or a cell phone plan. No, this ad was for something that mattered. This ad was for a company that helped homeless children in America. This was an ad for something that helped people, and did good things for society. This was why Jim went into advertising in the first place, to help create advertisements that helped the world (Ways of Seeing).

Jim was working with his collaborators on creating an advertisement which they would later pitch to the company that was helping the kids. Today he was going to meet with his colleagues and put the ad together. His job had been to design the basic format and layout of the add. His colleagues had other responsibilities, such as picking the images they would use, and putting the soundtrack together. They were going to compare ideas to put this ad together. The elevator arrived on the tenth floor. Jim got out and walk over to the conference room. When he opened the door he found that the others were already inside. His co-workers Milo and Chris were waiting for him.

“ Hey Jim,” said Milo, “ How are you?”

“ Good,” Jim replied.

“ Good, well let’s get down to business. What’s your idea for the layout of the ad?”

Jim eagerly pitched his idea for the layout. He told them what the ad would say, and how it would say it. He emphasized using a sad tone of voice and describing how much these poor kids suffered.

“ This will play to people’s sympathy” he said confidently. “ They will see how sad these kids are, but then we’ll tell them how they can help, and then we show some smiling happy kids or something to show how happy their donation will make someone. They will see themselves as the answer to the problem, when really their individual donations do so little in the long run.”

Chris and Milo both liked the layout; they agreed that it was effective and persuasive. Chris was in charge of creating the soundtrack for the add. He played some sad music, and then some happy upbeat music at the end. Jim and Milo agreed that this really set the mood and the feeling that this ad was trying to create. Then it was Milo’s turn. Milo was in charge of picking out the images of sad and happy homeless children that the ad would use. He showed them a slide show of many photographs of little kids.

“Obviously this is too many images to put in the add.” he said “I was hoping that we could pick out the ones we want.”

“Yes, there are a few that I think should definitely be in this ad,” Jim said. Then he went over to Milo’s laptop and copied all of the photos that he liked and put them in a separate folder. “I think that these kids will really pull at people’s heart strings, and make them want to donate.”

Milo looked at the images that Jim had selected. His face was placid and expressionless. After looking through them he paused, thought for a moment, then looked at

them once more. “I noticed that all of the photos you liked were of caucasian children,” he

pointed out.

Suddenly Jims face looked serious, like he had just been accused of some sort of crime “What are you implying Milo?,” Jim asked “Are you implying that I am a racist who thinks that white kids deserve help more than minorities? Because that’s not what I think. It’s just that I think that these particular kids will make people feel sorry for them, and want to help.”

“Because they’re white” said Milo.

Jim sighed. “Look, Milo. I personally don’t care what race kids are, but let’s face it, that’s not how the rest of the world sees it. This ad will be shown in a predominantly white community, and therefore these images will appeal more to the public.

“I’m just worried that it’s a little bit racist. After all, most of the homeless kids in America are African American .” Milo informed him.

“ Look, it doesn’t matter whether or not the ad is racist, what matters is if it is effective (America’s Youngest Outcasts). I’ve looked at some statistics. 90% percent of the local population is white. White kids will appeal more to them.” Jim stated

“I just worry that this ad may be a little offensive,” said Milo.

“I don’t think many black people will mind. I mean look at Chris, he’s black and he thinks that these images are ok,” Jim pointed out, “Right Chris?

Chris paused for a moment, thinking about what to say. Finally he spoke, “Actually I do think that we should include a few photos of African American kids. We have some images of black kids that I think could be very effective. Look at this photo. This poor little guy is only about three years old. He’s the youngest one we’ve got. I think that his age will make people feel sorry for him.

Jim examined the photo. “He is very young, but I just don’t think he’s that cute. People will want to help cute little kids. Look at this one. See this little blonde-haired girl? Doesn’t she just have the cutest little blue eyes?

“While your definition of cute pertains to little blonde-haired blue eyed white girls, others may find black children just as cute,” Milo pointed out.

Jim started to get frustrated. He wasn’t a racist, and he didn’t like that he was beginning to come off as one. It wasn’t his fault that this was how the world was. It wasn’t his fault that the people of this town would relate better to a little white kid that resembled their own children. “I don’t think that white kids are any cuter than black kids,” he stated “But the rest of this town feels differently than I do. We have to face fact and play to the interests of the people. That’s how advertising works. We spread products, services, and ideas to the people by pertaining to their needs. We find out what they like and we give it to them. It’s how things and ideas are created. It’s how advertising, and spreading products and ideas shapes the world.”

Milo looked at Jim and said, “The thing is Jim, I just don’t think that you’re giving the people of this town enough credit, This town isn’t the same as it was twenty or thirty years ago when you moved here. People have changed. There is more racial equality, and I believe that they will want to help homeless children of color, just as much as white children.”

Jim was annoyed. Milo and Chris just didn’t understand advertising. He had been in the business longer than them. He knew how to appeal to people’s interests. But, they were too stubborn to agree with him. If they wanted to show images that wouldn’t work as well in the ad, then that was fine with him.

“Let’s leave it up to the charity people. We’ll make two ads, one with my images and one with yours. We’ll see which one they like best. I have some work to get done, good bye.”

“Good bye,” said Milo, “And may the best ad win.”

Sources

1. "America’s Youngest Outcasts: State Report Card on Child Homelessness."Familyhomelessness.org. National Center on Family Homelessness, n.d. Web. 14 Jan. 2014. <http://www.homelesschildrenamerica.org/pdf/report_cards/long/fl_long>.

2. Ways of Seeing. Dir. John Berger. 1972. Online Video.

Des O’Donovan

Excuse me sir, you forgot to lock your... car.

Damn, he didn’t hear me. He just walked into that store. What an idiot, I mean seriously, what kind of moron just leaves their car unlocked in this neighborhood. Jesus, he left the key in the ignition. This is definitely getting stolen.

I should go inside and get him, and tell him to lock his stupid car. Man, if I had a car like this I wouldn’t let it out of my sight. How can you just leave a mercedes like this unlocked. Someone could get a lot of money for this. I know a guy who would buy a stolen car like this. Come to think of it I do need some money. More than that I need some food and a place to spend the night. It’s too damn cold out here.

I could just go inside the car for a bit, just to warm up. I’ll guard it so it doesn’t get stolen, nothing wrong with that. Ohhh, that’s nice, nice and warm. These seats are so comfortable, I could fall asleep in them, It’d be way more comfortable than my cardboard box.

Hey he’s got some groceries I here. I don’t think he’ll notice if one of these bagels goes missing, he’s got so many and he can always buy more.

Oh that’s good

I’ve got nowhere to sleep tonight. Maybe I could take this car to an abandoned lot or something, spend the night, and then return it to his house the tomorrow. His address should be on the registration form. Ah, here it is 1247 Maple Street, oh he lives in that really rich neighborhood. He probably had five more cars like this, what difference does it make if I take this one. After all I have nothing. There’s no one around, I could drive of, sell the car, and have my money in no time.

Wait this is crazy, I could get caught. I’ve already been arrested for theft before, I’m not going back to that prison. It won’t be like the last time, No ones going to walk into the living room, and catch me throwing jewelry into a bag like last time. I’m not going to get caught, I’m going to sell the car, I’ll get rid of the evidence.

Hey he also left his phone, god this car is a gold mine. I could get money for that to, huh, He’s got a picture of his kids as a screen saver. He’s got a boy, and a girl. Cute kids, look like they’re five or six years old. The boy kinda reminds me of my son at that age. He’s got the same wide smile. Of course I’m sure my son looks a whole lot different by now.

I haven’t seen him in eight years, since my ex wife took him away from me after the arrest. Maybe she was right to do that. What kind of a father am I. I’m a terrible role model, I’m stealing a car from some guy who’s got his own family to support. I don’t want my kid to live this way, and I don’t want to live this way either. But I need a place to sleep, It’s going to get below zero tonight, I’ll freeze to death. If I get arrested, at least I’ll still have a place to sleep. ( try to start the car)

Damn it, it’s out gas!

My name is Des O’Donovan and I am a freshman at Science Leadership Academy. For English class we had to do a you and the world project. For this project we had to pick an issue that we cared about. Then we had to create a blog post about the issue. Then we have to actually do something about the issue.

My issue is Animals getting hit my motor vehicles. I want to try to prevent animal getting hit by vehicles. Many animals are struck and injured or killed by cars in the United States. I want to try to make it safer for animals, and try to prevent animal vehicle collisions.

I am interested in this issue because I think that it is tragic that innocent animals are hit by cars. These are car accidents that happen all the time. I live in north west Mount Airy near the Wissahickon valley park. There are a lot of animals that live there, including an over population of white tailed deer. There are some busy roads near the park and animal vehicle collisions are common. Animals are struck by cars and often killed. Within less than half a mile of my house I have seen many animals that have been killed by cars. These animals include grey squirrels, toads, frogs, snakes, songbirds, birds of prey, small rodents, opossums, raccoons, and deer. Seeing this is what got me interested in this issue.

This year near in the park near my house an unidentified hiker was walking in the woods with their dog. The dog was not on a leash, which is against park regulations. Many hikers in the wissahickon do not obey leash laws. The leash laws are put in place so that dogs don’t destroy plants, erode trails, and harass hikers and wildlife. This dog got away from it’s owner and chased a full grown male white tailed deer across the busy road of Wissahikon avenue where the deer was hit by a car. It is unknown if this deer is still alive. Dog's harassing wildlife is one of the reasons that they run across roads and get hit by cars. http://www.fow.org/system/files/FOW-newsletter-Fall-2012.pdf click here to view article

In the united states many busy highways go right through areas of wilderness. animals that live in these areas need to cross these roads. but with so many cars going at speeds of 60 miles an hour or more it is very difficult for them to make it across without getting struck by a car. Most animals just get run over when they get hit and die. Others manage to make it off of the roads and then die from internal injuries. Some animals may go for days, weeks, or months of suffering from injuries before they finally die. Some people may ask who is to blame for all of this. Well it depends on a number things. Sometimes it’s because drivers are careless, and don’t pay attention when  they see an animal crossing sign. But most of the time it’s simply because there are too many busy roads going right through animal habitat, and the animals have no way of getting across without risking injury.

Some species that get hit by cars are endangered. In 1998 in the Florida Key Islands a recorded 134 endangered Florida key deer ( an endangered white tailed deer subspecies) were killed by cars. Also endangered Florida panthers ( a critically endangered Florida mountain lion subspecies) are often hit by cars on highways going through the everglades. These endangered cats are disappearing quickly, so the Florida department of transportation built passages under highways for animals to safely go under. Panthers, along with many other Florida species have been recorded using these passages. These passages are also being used in Arizona. Migratory animals such as pronghorn antelope are often hit by cars in Arizona. So the Arizona department of fish and game built these highway passags for animals. If more of these passages were built there would be less road accidents with animals.

Pennsylvania is ranked third in the nation in collisions with deer. Due to the lack of natural predators, and ideal deer habitat the state has an over population of white tailed deer. And the population is growing. The collision risk rose 14.975 between 2002 and 2007. The risk of deer collisions is three times higher in fall because fall is deer hunting, and mating season. Deer are traveling more to escape hunters, and to breed. They are more focussed on breeding then safety, and are more likely to carelessly walk across roads. Most accidents happen in the evening because thats when deer are most active. Drivers should be especially careful when driving in areas where there are deer.

I want to find out what people in our state are doing to prevent this. I want to learn more about animal collisions in Philadelphia. I want to focus on deer because collisions with them seem to be a major problem. I want to find out what we can do to prevent these collisions.