Twenty Tabs Later

After a great semester, the end has finally come.  It only took fifteen weeks to learn dozens of life-long lessons about life at USC.  Enlightening and overwhelming are two words that come to mind.  Grateful and exhausting are a few more.  Every failure carries a lesson, and each challenge builds and strengthens one's resolve and mind.  This semester, especially this WRIT 340 class, has taught me so much.

Like my "About Me" section explains, I did my best to act like a sponge and absorb the information presented during this course.  While a writer is never truly finished evolving, my skills have definitely been refined in a business aspect.  Thank you for the high marks (my first and hopefully not my last A at USC) and for taking the time to get to know each of us.  Years from now, when I look back at my time here at the University of Southern California, this class will always hold a special place in my memories.

We The People is a diverse organization seeking to end gun violence in the United States of America. While there are many layers to We The People, our main mission is promoting and fundraising to support "commonsense" gun solutions with goals to enact more thorough background checks, rigorous mental health evaluations, and among other positive solutions.


Today's America is riddled with gun violence.  Since 2012, this country has witnessed and endured over 1,500 mass shootings leaving more than 1,700 people dead and over 6,000 wounded according to a research study published by Vox.  The most deadly mass shooting in America's history was October 1, 2017 which left 58 people dead and 546 injured.  That shooting replaced the Orlando nightclub shooting, where over 50 people were killed just a year earlier, as the deadliest mass shooting in American history.


Just last night, November 28, there was an active shooter in downtown Reno, Nevada.  Similar to the mass murderer in the Las Vegas massacre, the shooter was firing from an elevated position; only this time rather than a casino hotel room, the shooter was discovered in Reno's Montage apartments.  While the shooters true motives are still being investigated, the location chosen seems to indicate the malicious intention of committing harmful acts against downtown Reno's inhabitants.


These occurrences happen so often that Americans have begun to become desensitized to shootings.  Events like this only fuel We The People's motives to aim for stricter legislation and reestablishes our passion to assist in ending unnecessary gun violence. Our organization also has a less politically motivated mission to promote education, safety, and responsibility among gun owners and those interested in purchasing guns.   We The People will offer a free potentially life-saving course that gives access to knowledge and training on how to respond if an active shooter is in your area.


The America of today cannot be the America of our future.


We the people have a right to bear arms, but we must make it our mission to do so responsibly and with the proper education to avoid unhappy outcomes.  Together we can create a better, safer America.

The world we live in today is unkind to many and filled with avoidable hardships.  That's not to say that we live in a world without hope.  I'd like to think that my ideas are progressive and forward-thinking.  There are many things that come to mind when I imagine a better world: universal healthcare, gun control, equality, environmental protection, and unlimited access education.  For this post, I'll be discussing the most immediately relevant issue that I think is the perfect first step to bettering our world: gun control.

Gun control is a touchy subject, especially now in America.  There are two facts that I think everyone in this debate can agree on.  The first is that we should work together toward a future where there will never be a mass shooting again.  The second is that American citizens have the right to bear arms as stated in the Second Amendment.  After that, the disagreement begins.  My ideal world doesn't take away guns, but it does have stricter background checks, rigorous mental health evaluations, and limits the selling of assault rifles.  When discussing gun control, I feel that there is one prevalent thing to point out: when America's founding father's drafted the Constitution and the Bill of Rights in the 1770s, the guns they reference, muskets, could only hold one bullet at a time and took twenty seconds to a minute to load and reload.  In today's America, gun magazines can hold more than 20 bullets/rounds and takes mere seconds to operate, not minutes.

There was an analogy that I heard a while ago that resonated with me.  The analogy compares guns to cars.  Both are machines that have potential to be dangerous and result in someone's death if not handled properly.  As car crashes became more common, and death rates increased,  laws were added in the hopes of saving lives.  To operate a car, people have to pass numerous tests like eye exams, written exams and "behind-the-wheel" exams before obtaining a drivers license.  Speed limits were added to improve road safety and reduce the number of road traffic casualties.  Seat belt laws were enacted to prevent life-threatening injuries or death in the case of an accident.  Having insurance is necessary before you are allowed to drive a car in the case that you injure someone while using the car.  I understand that the analogy isn't perfect. It's difficult to compare an automobile to a gun, but I believe that it gets the point across that new rules don't have to be an issue as long as you follow them.  If you're the perfect example of a gun owner then more in-depth, frequent background checks and mental health evaluations shouldn't matter, because you will pass.  These regulations would be put in place to raise red flags regarding people that should not handle guns.

Life is full of lessons, but if we don't learn from those lessons we are doomed to repeat our mistakes.

If you read my last random blog post you know that it was all about the amazing KJ Apa who is currently starring in the CW's show Riverdale every Wednesday night at 8pm (shameless plug).  This random blog post will be another one about Apa.

Originally, I had planned to write about my journey back home to Temecula this weekend.  However, that plan as thrown aside when I was scrolling through YouTube and was recommended a video called "ASHA ft. KJ Apa - Black Beatles Cover".  I was enthralled.  I cannot explain how much I adore the video.  Asha's voice is flawless and KJ plays the guitar beautifully.

Asha has a role on Riverdale as a member of the band "Josie and the Pussycats" so I've heard her perform before, but this is the first time I've seen her sing solo.  I also knew that KJ could play the guitar, but again, hearing it toned down to just her voice and his guitar really lets you appreciate the skill and talent and just sheer beauty of the music.  I could make this post longer but I don't think I could praise this video enough.  You just have to hear for yourself.

I've linked the video below in case you care to listen.  I hope you enjoy it as much as I did:

While I'm not completely finished with the book yet, thanks to multiple group projects (though I hope to be done by Wednesday), I'm happy to say that I'm still very much enjoying Born on Third Base.  There's something about it that I connected to from an economic standpoint. It seems that Collins' and I share similar viewpoints on a lot of things regarding social, political, and just personal ideals.  I think that I'm truly enjoying this book so much because I actually relate to it.  As someone that has the opportunity to attend USC without having to worry about financial aid or life-long debt, Collins helped me realize just how privileged I am.  Going into this book, I knew that I, like Collins, was born on third base.  Now, I'm nowhere near as well off as his family was but my parents and I lived a comfortable life in the suburbs.

Surprisingly, I really liked hearing about the estate tax and its impact.  I've seen a lot of commercials, and more recently a video of Mitch McConnell, vowing to get rid of the estate tax, otherwise known as the death tax.  The way Collins' explains the importance and significance of the estate tax really helped me understand why it's crucial to the nation.  I still want to do a bit more research on my own but Collins does have me convinced at this point in time.  That said, the book also helped me see how easily people are manipulated by propaganda and the commercials put out by politicians.  The fact that the estate tax won't affect an individual's estate unless said individual's worth is over $10.8 million is a fact that many don't know.  Unaware smaller business owners are then manipulated by politicians into thinking that their own estate's are endangered despite their economic worth being much less than $10.8 million.

As stated previously, I really do enjoy this book; so much so that I've have recommended it to a few friends.  Once I've finished the book, I'll post a brief update here housing my ending thoughts.

Before I begin, there are a few things you should know about me.  I love history, I love politics, I love to discuss the current political climate in America, and I love to argue.  Obviously, I'm able to contain the last part when it comes to differing viewpoints, like any good debater.  I respect the opposition's view but am certain that I'm right until I'm proven wrong beyond reasonable doubt. So, I'm also stubborn.  These traits have allowed me to connect with this book in ways that I was unable to with Growing A Farmer or Life on the Road.  I'm so pleased to say that I'm very much enjoying Born on Third Base and look forward to reading on.


The thing that I immediately loved about Born on Third Base was that author Chuck Collins isn't afraid to shy away from one of the largest problems in America.  Economic inequality in America seems to be at an all-time high, with the middle class slowly disappearing as the rich continue to get richer.  Don't get me wrong, I'm not opposed to wealth.  In fact, I respect it (and those who earn it) and wish to one day be successful enough that I don't have to worry about money issues.  However, some who are extremely wealthy and born into that wealth don't understand the privileges and opportunities that are handed to them on a silver platter.


In Collins' introduction, he states, "Never in the history of human suffering and economic conflict have so few been in a position to do so much for so many" (3).   For some reason, this statement just really touched me.  Maybe it was because he referenced Winston Churchill moments earlier, or maybe it was because of the sheer, undeniable truth to those words.  The wealthiest 1% of America holds so much power in their hands and are in possession of more money than they could ever need.  They have the option to share a portion of their wealth to better the lives of the less fortunate.  They have the option to share a portion of their wealth to assist those that suffer.  They have the option to share a portion of their wealth to do.  They have that option to do these things, and yet many don't do it.  Why?


Being born on third base himself, Collins helped me understand why.

How many of you are familiar with the Archie Comics?

If you are then you'll surely remember the title character, Archie Andrews.  The all-American boy with carrot orange hair, freckles, and the always-there "R" t-shirt.  This past year, Warner Brothers' own CW network has created a live-action tv show adapted from the Archie Comics.  The television adaption, called "Riverdale", stars KJ Apa as Archie Andrews, Cole Sprouse as Jughead Jones, Lili Reinhart as Betty Cooper, and Camila Mendes as Veronica Lodge.

Today, I'll be discussing why KJ APA is perfect for the iconic role of Archie Andrews.

I'll provide a bit of background on our esteemed main character.  Archie Andrews is known as America's most typical teenager.  The character was born and raised in the small town of Riverdale.  He's got a mop of red (orange) hair, a splatter of freckles on his cheeks, and a nice-boy attitude.  Archie Andrews is most famous for his indecisiveness and his inability to chose between two girls called Betty and Veronica.

Now, let's talk about the actor taking on the role.  Twenty-year-old KJ Apa was born and raised in New Zealand.  He has two sisters and his father, who is Samoan, is the Matai (chief) of his village in Somoa.  He plays both the guitar and the piano and is often hesitant when asked to sing live, but he has a great singing voice.