Political Issue - Picking A Side

On the issue of abortion, my personal stance falls on the same side as Democrats. I believe that women should have the right to choose if they want to go through with a pregnancy or not. Some arguments are that it kills a baby, but done at the right time, the baby has not gained consciousness yet. Most of the arguments on the Republican side are of religious nature, which I have little tolerance for. Scientifically I believe that abortion is prevention of a birth, not murder, and is justified if the mother's situation would make a miserable life for a child that was forced to be born.

Project Tools

For my project, I had to compile a list of all the tools I'd need to complete the project. These tools are different form materials in that the tools were taken home at the rest of the day, and the materials actually became the project.

• 1-2 manual posthole diggers.
• 1 posthole driver.
• 3 pairs of pliers.
• 1 rake.
• 1-2 wheelbarrows.
• 1 pair of wire cutters. 

I borrowed the posthole diggers, driver, and one wheelbarrow from the Parks, Trails and Recreation Dept. I had a pair of wire cutters, 3 pairs of pliers, and a rake. 

Additional tools I needed after I had written this up were sandpaper, a couple hammers, some skinny shovels, and a truck to transport the wheelbarrows between the storage shed a few blocks away and the project site.

Project Ideas

When I was working on my Eagle project, my main idea was to raise money for a third-world country to help them cope with daily life. I remembered seeing a chart showing how much a dollar could be used for in various countries, and was inspired to help them out by raising money.

However, this wasn't acceptable for the Boy Scouts of America. They recommended I do something like build a bench, or a fence, or a swingset or something. So I had to reconsider my options:

• Build a bench
• Build a fence
• Build a swingset or something

They said it should be a physical project that I can come back to when I'm an adult and be "proud" that it's still there. While my original idea would have easily been a thousand times more effective and meaningful, I needed to get my Eagle rank. Luckily I had noticed a steep drop-off at the edge of a cliff that had no protection and a trail leading right up to the edge, so the idea to build a fence went perfectly with that.

I sort of regret not pushing my original idea, but I don't think they ever would have accepted it.

Strengths and Weaknesses of Republicans

As we explore the two largest political parties, it is important to assess their strengths and weaknesses. The following are, in my opinion, the republican party's best and worst traits.

Strengths

• Are mostly realistic about taxation and most budget ideals
• A strong party with lots of support
• Easy to access

Weaknesses

• Media outlets are subpar at best
• Important figures in party tend to be undereducated
• Many extremists who make the party look stupid
  

Strengths and Weaknesses of Democrats

As we explore the two largest political parties, it is important to assess their strengths and weaknesses. The following are, in my opinion, the democratic party's best and worst traits.

Strengths

• Promote unity and civil rights
• Are generally able to take responsibility for faults and admit when they are wrong
• Media outlets are more intelligent

Weaknesses

• Tend to cave in when wrong
• Don't have universal support
• Tend to think they are always completely justified
  

Political Affiliation Quiz

I took this quiz on a website called politopia.com. After a series of questions, it gives you an approximation of your political stance. Here are my results:

You would feel most at home in Centerville, which means that you are more or less pleased the status quo-you think the US government has just about the right amount of control over your economic and personal decisions. Your neighbors include democratic and republican party leaders and others who call themselves "moderates" and "centrists."

I think this is kind of accurate, except I don't agree with a lot of the government's policies and habits. I don't even believe in the "parties" system at all, which is a curveball when trying to classify myself under a political party. I prefer to be independent from political classifications, but without the elitist undertone that that implies-- not above it, not below it, but separate.

Fence Project - Fencing Types

Wire mesh fencing.

During this project, I had to determine the best type of fencing for the project. Each of my researched types had positives and negatives. The following is my research findings.


Chainlink fencing
+Cheap
+Durable
-Doesn't really work with the nature atmosphere

Plastic fencing
+Cheap
-Not very durable
-Doesn't really work with the nature atmosphere

Wooden fencing
+Very durable
+Works well with nature atmosphere
-Difficult to do; more time-consuming
-More expensive than other methods
-Cumbersome

Metal wire mesh fencing
+Very durable
+Cheap
+Easy to install
-Doesn't work all that well with nature atmosphere, but is used in many other places in the area

I ended up going with the metal wire mesh fencing, because it was best suited for the situation. It is also what the Parks, Trails, and Rec. center had recommended to use. It is rust-resistant and was very easy to install with U-shaped nails that go into the wooden posts.

Fence Project - Fencepost Setting

The image I used to model my setting plan.

After deciding the type of post, I had to decide how I wanted to set the posts in the ground. I had read online that the rule with fenceposts is that 1/3 of the post length should be underground. My posts were 7 feet long, so that meant about 2 1/3 feet would be underground. I had then found out that with wooden poles, there needs to be some gravel underneath to allow water to disperse and not pool in the wood, which would rot it faster. Websites had said about 6-8" was a sufficient amount of gravel. I went with this, but rounded it to 8" to make the total hole depth 3' flat. Once the gravel was in, we put the poles in, then while keeping them level, we added concrete and water, and mixed it around a little bit to make sure it was all mixed. The concrete was necessary in this case because of the vandalism in the area; I wanted to make sure that nobody could take out these posts. This whole process was way easier said than done, as digging a 3-foot hole is probably one of the hardest things I've ever had to do. I wouldn't have been able to do more than probably 3 holes without the help of my friends.

Fence Project - Fencepost Types

A metal T-post.

For my Eagle project, I had to research many different fence possibilities. One detail was the posts themselves. There are three main types: round metal posts (used mainly for chainlink,) wooden 4x4's, and metal T-posts. There are advantages and disadvantages to each, listed below.


Round metal posts
+Strong, durable, heavy
+No sharp angles, so a curved fence is easier to do
-Mainly used for chainlink fencing, which is not in my plan
-Sort of expensive
-Not the best for a forest environment
-Need concrete

Wooden 4x4 posts
+Strong, heavy
+Relatively cheap
+Fit in with forest environment well
+Work with the fencing specified by Lafayette Parks, Trails, and Rec. center 
-Need concrete
-Cumbersome
-Susceptible to rot

Metal T-posts
+Don't need concrete
+Works with almost all types of fencing
+Cheap
+Easy to install
-Easy to remove
-Not strong; flimsy
-Tacky; not suitable for permanent barriers

I decided to go with wooden 4x4 posts. I ruled out metal T-posts because there had been vandalism in the area, and the temporary fences put up by the Trails department had been ripped out by vandals. I needed something stronger. I ruled out the round metal posts because they weren't suitable for the environment, but the wooden 4x4's were, so I went with that. I found them at about $12 for one 10-foot length, and I needed 10 of them.