Technology

Technology is what separates humans from lower life forms. To say that technology will be the end of us is wrong. Where would civilization be without the technology of the spear and farming tools? The technological advances today grows faster and faster with every second and minute. The internet is a world wide phenomenon that allows the planet to stay connected.

With the growing popular usage of the internet, we can stay connected anywhere anytime. This is extremely useful in the medical field. To help doctors and nurses stay up to date on patients is key to saving lives. With real time updates, the patient will not be bombarded with mistakes and given wrong medicines due to outdated charts. It will also speed up the process from one end of the hospital to the other. To give up this technology would be ethically wrong.

To control the internet would tear the system apart. It would be an outrage to the public to find out the government is watching us. Everyone should be akin to the ideas of the world, so everyone can decide for themselves. I believe we should embrace the idea of a network fused between everyone. This will connect people in ways never imagined. It can dissolve a world crisis by keeping everyone informed and allowing anyone to help. Instead of sitting helplessly in your home, you could jump on the internet and contribute to helping the hungry and helpless across the planet. If the internet was restricted, then our right to free speech would be invalid. Freedom in the internet is one of the few places people can go to anonymously.

Maybe we should ask questions about the harm of technology, but why? Like some people say, “if it ain’t broke, then don’t fix it.” We’re doing what we can with what we have. Technology will advance us as a people and can fix global warming in time, but it won’t help if we are restricted. All the talk of making stem cell research illegal hinders us. If doing this research can save a person’s life, should we worry about what could have been or what we’re losing now?

Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, and those opinions should be allowed to be expressed. Restrictions on a free market like the internet shouldn’t be allowed. Like-minded people connect and share their ideas over this medium. It wasn’t too long ago when the United States came to be because of revolutionaries with ideas of freedom came together to start something new.

Revision Post of pg. 1

Houston, Texas is known for its horrible traffic problems. They have become worse with the introduction of the popular cell phone. With this major distraction, people are more liable to get in accidents, which in turn causes traffic to build up. Cell phone users talk and text focusing more on their conversations rather than on the more important road that they are driving on. To alleviate this problem, the use of mobile phones without a hands-free device should be banned.
According to INRIX, the leading provider of traffic and navigation services, Houston ranks number six nationally as the top congested metros with Los Angeles and New York City ranking first and second (National Traffic Scorecard). With this much traffic congestion, driving on Interstate forty-five is almost like conducting the Houston Symphony, with all the lane-changes and stops associated with driving to and from downtown Houston. “The Houston Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) covers 10,062 square miles…[which] contains more people than Minnesota, which ranks 21st among the states in population” (Houston Statistics). With that many people and this much congestion, there is a question of safety while driving inside the city.
Although there have been precautions started due to this new generation of cell phone users, it should be a city wide law. The fact that in school zones where posted, cell phone use is prohibited is a big step forward. The worse accidents do not happen in school zones, they happen on busy intersections and highways. A current fine of $200 is instated if violating this law in marked school zones. These zones are very important to pay attention to with children playing around those areas, but why should we stop there? Are there less children playing in the neighborhoods that we cannot ban them in residential areas? While it is important to pay attention to the areas congested with children, it is important to pay attention to traffic in general with a highly populated city.
While it is very important that Houston has a city-wide ban of mobile device usage while driving, they will not be the first to do so. There have been many states that have already passed legislature to get rid of this problem, among them is: California, Hawaii, Washington, and the District of Columbia. One state for example, Hawaii, started the law which states cell phone users must have a hands-free device to use while driving.

Draft page 1

Houston, Texas is known for its horrible traffic problems. They have become worse with the introduction of the popular cell phone. With this major distraction, people are more liable to get in accidents, which in turn causes traffic to build up. Instead of focusing on the road, cell phone users talk and text focusing more on their conversations. To alleviate this problem, the use of mobile phones without a hands-free device should be banned.
Although there have been precautions started due to this new generation of cell phone users, it should be a city wide law. The fact that in school zones where posted, cell phone use is prohibited is a big step forward. The worse accidents do not happen in school zones, they happen on busy intersections and highways. A current fine of $200 is instated if violating this law in marked school zones. These zones are very important to pay attention to with children playing around those areas, but why should we stop there? Are there less children playing in the neighborhoods that we cannot ban them in residential areas?
While it is very important that Houston has a city-wide ban of mobile device usage while driving, they will not be the first to do so. There have been many states that have already passed legislature to get rid of this problem, among them is: California, Hawaii, Washington, and the District of Columbia. One state for example, Hawaii, started the law which states cell phone users must have a hands-free device to use while driving. In Honolulu county, Oahu, the accidents caused by cell phone usage is very limited with this new law. There have been over 950 citations issued between July 1 and September 12, 2009 in Oahu (Honolulu Police Department).
Major accidents have happened in which people lost lives. This is an unacceptable part of the system, while drinking and driving is a major offense, cell phone usage is very much distracting, so much that sober users cause death and destruction. According to the Texas Department of Transportation, the traffic violations in 2008 had 29 vehicles involved in fatal crashes with a total of