We are the only people who can prevent significant gang activity from spreading in our state. A common misconception about gang formation and membership is that it is founded upon economic opportunity. In actuality most gangs are created with reasonably good intentions, be it protecting and representing their community, or creating a family that was not provided to many of its members. Often this happens in neighborhoods or specific demographics that feel, or have actually been significantly disenfranchised by society. They feel that they do not stand a chance unless they band together, so they do.

Gangs are not only created based upon circumstances, larger gangs often target areas in an attempt to create an empire. These larger gangs have usually completely abandoned the principles upon which they were founded and are now primarily interested in economic opportunity. They spread into more rural areas (like Maine) with only foul intentions, with no respect for the places they infect. They entice our youths by preaching and romanticizing a life of brotherhood and excess, and once a gang member has been initiated it is near impossible to leave, and one member leads to another and the cancer swells.

The best way to stop gangs from expanding or being created is to give more opportunities to people in lower financial brackets. If at risk impoverished people feel they stand a chance in life they will be less reluctant to try to improve their socioeconomic standing and live healthy and productive lives devoid of gang affiliation. People don’t turn to gangs if they feel they have options, lets work to provide opportunities or at least a safe baseline for our at risk residents of Maine.

Ben Burlock
Bath

Most of people know that fast food is not good for our body, but many people are eating fast foods, even sales volume is increasing annually. There are many reasons for people are eating fast food maybe because of lack of time or too many fast food stores or the taste is attractive for us. Many people know that fast food is not good for our health but people do not know the specific problems. So I want to share the problems with people to keep us healthy.

“Super Size Me” is a movie and the main character ate only super size burger from McDonalds for a month and doctors recorded his body changes. McDonalds have removed the super size meals from their menu, because the experimenter got so much fat and even he destroyed his health and people realized fast foods seriousness. Also in Korea a person said “I will make Korean version Super Size Me” and he started eating only eat fast food and coke, but he gave up in the eighth day. During the experimental period, he got 3.4kg of weight, also he got 4.8kg of human body fat but he lost 1.3kg of muscle mass. It was marvelous change even though he walked a lot during daytime. Especially his liver GPT numerical value has increased 22 to 75 and normality is under 44. Fast food contain carcinogen a lot and it can make people get cancer easily.

These days, people realizing the bad effect of fast foods on people, but still people are eating fast food a lot. We can go to more healthy fast food restaurant like Subway when we do not have enough time. We can go eat hand made burgers when we want to eat burgers and it will be healthier.

Luke Cha
Bath

I read an article about people been crazy about iPhone. As a person who uses iPhone for long time, the article let me wording why people spend more money to buy an  iPhone than a cheap phone that can do the same thing as an iPhone does. 

The article showed that there was thousands of people stay over late night buying a new  iPhone. This was happened in china also. I had read some essay about people been crazy about iPhone in China also. Although I enjoy using iPhone, I still couldn’t get why people did that. I remember the first time when I used iPhone. iPhone was very expansive in China at that time, so I felt that everyone look up at me. Superiority just came out and I enjoyed it. That was a point reason why I used iPhone. After a few year everyone start have the same phone but I didn’t switch to a new brand because I felt is conferrable to use. I just think iPhone is better than others smart phone although I never change the brand. 

I just felt that people buying the phone because it looks cool or popular. The performance doesn’t really matter with them. I don’t think it will become a problem. But people spend more money to buy an iPhone than a cheap phone that can do the same thing as an iPhone does is a fact in this few years. I just want the people think more about what they want, not what everyone else like. People should being more themselves.  

Andy Li
Bath