Wednesdays 8pm et/pt
Laurel: Age 12
Massachusetts
Laurel's Photos |
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What world leader do you admire?
Jesus Christ.
How would you change the world?
I have lots of ideas about how to change this great big
lovely world. It sounds corny but there is lots of fighting in our world and
it would be so nice for countries to get along. We are all people with families,
parents, friends and loved ones. We all have feelings and we are all basically
the same inside. It would be nice if instead of focusing on our differences
we focused on how we are all alike. We should also look at other nations and
try to learn from them.
How would you change your neighborhood?
My parents and grandparents have told me that when they
were young everything was closed on Sunday. No stores, no malls mostly no
work. It was a day that was spent with family, all the relatives would get
together for eating and cooking, going to church and just slowing down and
hanging out. I guess I would like to see that come back into fashion.
What have you learned about power?
Power is something that needs to be earned, like respect.
You can’t take advantage of it. You need to put yourself in the people's
shoes and listen to them
Is power a good thing?
Sometimes, yes. Sometimes, no. Someone in a powerful
position can do a lot of good and positive but they can also do harm and act
as a dictator.
What makes a good leader?
A good leader is someone who is sympathetic to the needs
of their people. A good leader will work along side their people, not above
them. A good leader has to be a good listener but has to remember they are
a leader and they have to foresee the consequences of their actions.
Who have been some of the best U.S. presidents, and why?
I guess one of my favorites is President Kennedy because
he was born right near where I live. He was a young, Irish Catholic President
that brought a lot of promise to our Country. When he was president the country
loved him.
Who have been some of the worst U.S. presidents, and why?
I'm not sure if President Bush will read this (probably
not) and I don't want to hurt his feelings but I am not to happy with his
decisions. I believe he vetoed a bill that would allow children to get access
to free health care. The whole War going on that he is in favor of and I am
strongly not in favor of. There has been a lot of lying and deception with
this President. He does not seem real bright like a president should be.
When you become an adult, what do you think will be the biggest problem facing our nation and/or world?
I'm not really sure about this one. I guess it could
be anything. Global Warming seems to be a big problem. It could be more deadly
wars or world hunger. Different diseases that can arise. It could be a whole
host of things. It could be something we have not even thought of!
If you had the power to change one or two things about our country right now, what would it be?
I'm not a strong supporter of this on-going war. I'm
sure most of the kids will answer this question this way. I WOULD END THE
WAR. Another thing that I would change is the way women are portrayed by the
media sometimes. In music videos, magazines, tv and movies I think women are
sometimes exploited. I feel that sometimes women are only valued for their
looks and not for their intelligence or personality.
If you could put into place one law that pertains to kids in our country, what would it be?
I'm really a strong supporter of no bullying. I don't
think some kids know how much that can damage someone. I just wish there would
be a law that kids have to be nice. It would be against the law to be mean
to another child. Middle school kids can be so so so mean to each other. Everyone
is trying to be accepted and nobody wants to be different for fear of being
made fun of. I just wish being different wasn't such a bad thing, it would
be nice for everyone to get along.
Why are some people rich and others poor?
Sometimes this is a factor as to how you are born. Some
kids are born rich, some are born poor. If you are born with $$$ your children
have more opportunity to get a better education and to succeed. Maybe parents
own business that children inherit. Also, when a child grows up in a nice
community and attends good schools that becomes the norm. Some children are
born in trailer parks or housing projects. They are not surrounded by the
best schools, they see drug dealers as successful because they have nice cars
and jewelry and lots of $$$. Their neighborhood may be run down and shabby
and that becomes the norm.
Do you believe global warming is a fact or a myth? If you think it is a fact, what would you do about it if you were in charge?
I think it's a fact. I believe it's a growing problem
that a lot of people are not paying attention to. If I were in charge I would
try to build more solar homes, solar powered cars, try to get the world to
be aware of how we are ruining things and see what we could focus on to change
things.
If you were in charge of immigration, would everyone be allowed to enter the country? Would illegal immigrants be allowed to stay?
If this was Laurel's country, illegal immigrants would
be bounced out and quickly. They should not be allowed to stay when they arrived
in this Country by breaking the law. So back to your country you go. Now for
the question would everyone be allowed to enter the Country, I would not keep
specific groups out of our country but I guess there should be some type of
rules as to how many people we can accept. Also, if you come here, you go
by the rules we have set up. You speak ENGLISH, you GET A JOB, you GET ACTIVE
IN YOUR COMMUNITY, you don't live off the government.
If you were in charge of education, would art class be as important as math?
Art class should definitely be as important as math.
I think all learning is good. Whether it's math, science, dance, writing,
or musical instruments. If you like what you are learning you will be enthusiastic.
Math is just straightforward facts and Art is something where you can show
your creativity.
Do you belong to any organizations or clubs?
I belong to a basketball team, a singing group, many
different theater groups and my church.
If you could switch places with one person, who would it be and why?
I would not switch places with anyone. I'm pretty content and happy just being Laurel. I was made this way for a reason and try to put that to good use. I don't want to be someone else, thank you, just me!
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