Honors Prompt 6

Rachel Akin
Honors Prompt 6
There is a fine line on how much the government should be involved in our lives. Nobody wants someone telling them everything they need to, but we all need a little guidance because without laws things would run without any common order. With this being said, I believe it is good for the government to say that those with food stamps cannot spend them on fast food.
I realize that as an American we are entitled to freedom and one of those freedoms should be to choose whatever we want to eat. I also realize there is a law allowing people to use food stamps at fast food, but laws change. Those on food stamps should be those who really need help acquiring food. Fast food is unhealthy. If people on food stamps only live near fast food, then the government should help them find a way to get nearer to healthy foods. As Americans we expect our government to help us. The government is not helping anyone by saying food stamps can buy fast food.
Those on food stamps do not have money for high medical bills, but eating fast food could result in numerous medical bills. Being obese puts one at risk for high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, joint problems, respiratory problems, and emotional distress. The big counterargument for allowing food stamps to buy fast food is that some people only live near fast food. Well, if all they eat is fast food, they will become unhealthy and they will have more medical bills. Even if they do not become obese and see the negative effects of obesity, fast food does not satisfy the body’s requirements to stay healthy and illnesses are bound to set in. It is not fair for the government to allow this to happen. I think the government should worry more about the health of its citizens than whether or not it is unfair to take away a person’s right to eat whatever they want. Sure fast food can be tasty sometimes, but it is not good to eat all the time, or even very often.

Honors Prompt 5
Rachel Akin

Meeting of The Minds

I. Jesus Christ
A. When walked the earth, endured harsh punishment, but worked for the best of all.
B. Never forgot the importance of compassion.
II. Nelson Mandela
A. Fought poverty and inequality.
B. Led negotiations resulting in a multiracial democracy.
III. Mahatma Ghandi
A. Led India to independence and inspired movements for freedom and civil rights
B. Believed in civil disobedience, which was a philosophy of nonviolence.
IV. Abraham Lincoln
A. Born in a small cabin, but eventually became the President of the U.S.
B. Responsible for freeing the slaves.
V. Mother Teresa
A. Known internationally for being a humanitarian
B. Also advocate for the rights of the poor and helpless.
C. Reached out to India and other countries with Missionaries of Charity, which she founded
VI. Helen Keller
A. Overcame being deaf and blind
B. Outspoken in her opposition of war
C. Campaigned for womens' suffrage, workers' rights, and more.
VII. Ellen Johnson Sirleaf
A. First and still only elected female head of state of Africa
B. Awarded Nobel Peace Prize along with 2 other women
C. Recognized for non-violent struggle for women's safety and rights.


For my "Super Dinner" I picked the above 7 people for their dedication to equal rights. Instead of picking an exact place and what to serve by myself, I would try to start off right with my guests and get their opinions first. I would ask what each one of them would prefer to eat and try to have a little bit of all of it at my dinner. In order for us all to work together we would need to experience each other's cultures. Lastly, I would have the dinner at the place most central to everyone. I would want to start things off as fair as possible for everyone because that is what compromises consist of. In order to work towards peace amongst different countries, much compromise would need to take place!

Honors Prompt Wal-Mart

Rachel Akin

Honors Prompt -Wal-Mart

Honestly, I go to Wal-Mart every week. I know it is such a bad place to go, but it is convenient and as of now it is the only place I can really afford. After watching the documentary on it, though, I wish I would have never started going there. The truths behind the convenient Wal-Mart shocked me. Wal-Mart is worse than I could have even imagined.

I definitely am on the director’s side when it comes to Wal-Mart. There is no way I would side with that corporation. I now cannot stand how normal and convenient it is to go there. I learned in Sociology recently that the manifest function of Wal-Mart is to be this convenient superstore, but this documentary shed light on the many latent functions Wal-Mart has.

Part of living in America is having the opportunity to be an entrepreneur. Anyone should be able to start from the bottom and then work their way to the top. With this being said, that means that there is much competition in America. It is so bothersome that we now have this superpower that runs people out of business who have been in business for years. Yes it is fine to have competition and yes people are always going to work at being the best, but at the same time monopolies are not allowed.

I agree with the documentary in that Wal-Mart needs to be regulated, especially when they have gotten to where they are with so many lies and with so little fairness. The worst part of Wal-Mart is that it is a corporation based on such terrible principles, yet its CEO can speak about it like it is such a great place. Wal-Mart is only interested in making money. I was appalled at how it treats its employees. Wal-Mart is such a wealthy company, yet they do not care to cheat others out of money and to continuously step on other people and businesses.

The truth about Wal-Mart is hidden behind so many lies, falsely cheery commercials, and people that only care about their money. I do not know how the CEO of Wal-Mart can sleep at night. Wal-Mart needs to be regulated and stopped. Their employees should not have to deal with the treatment they do. Americans needs to know what their convenient superstore really is. Just because it is convenient definitely does not mean it is right. As Americans we need to do our best to shop at places that do their best for the planet, and for their employees. Wal-Mart does not fit in this category.

Honors Prompt 4 Rachel Akin

Rachel Akin

Honors Prompt 4

After reading the article titled Easy on the Wallet or Easy on the Earth: A Case About Ethics in Sourcing, I do not believe that the student intern Carly LeBlanc should quit her internship and drop the class. Carly obviously has knowledge of how workers are treated unfairly in other countries. When thinking about buying cheap shirts from China she is bothered, especially since she saw for herself harsh working conditions in a Bulgarian clothing factory. She also has some desire to promote eco-friendly shirts. Since she already has this kind of knowledge should use this opportunity to reach out to others, to spread her knowledge, and to get others to see how important it is to notice where their clothes are coming from and what they are made of.

I believe that she should ask for an extension on her assignment. Yes, CEO’s are supposed to do what is best for their company and to quickly get products to consumers in order to make as much money as possible, but a small extension could allow Carly to do much research. This might enable her to find eco-friendly, fair trade shirts that are slightly cheaper. If she can order shirts that provide the best of both worlds than why should she not order them? When customers are notified that the company they are buying from tried to do the best thing for the environment, this makes more consumers interested in buying their product and gains the company respect. If the CEO wants what is best for the company, than he or she would grant Carly an extension.

I definitely think that Carly should order from a fair trade company. Fair trade companies provide their workers with proper working conditions. Since Carly has the knowledge she does she should get the company she is working for to promote purchasing fair trade, which will make the company look good. Consumers like buying from companies that promote good things.

Nowadays, more and more people are trying to go “green.” This is why it would be easy to assume the Chinese company does not treat its workers fairly. Most of the time when you can purchase something from a company at a price outrageously cheaper than another company, this means bad news for the workers, even though it is easier on the consumer to purchase the cheaper product. However, it is never good to assume and one should always research before just making assumptions. Still, Carly should purchase from a fair trade company just to be safe. Carly’s entire goal is to get the company started on the right foot, so what could be better than making the company provide good products that are also good for the environment?