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Identify the writing prompt you are going to respond to. Link to topics we previewed in class is above.

(Ex: Is animal testing is justified? Does social media harm young people's mental health?)

Write your response in an open letter. Include your position (thesis) on the issue (your POV). Include supporting examples. Include a call to action or call to reflection.

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Should federal aid be withheld during natural disasters?

Dear Members of Congress,

Natural disasters like hurricanes, wildfires, and floods can destroy homes and communities, and federal aid is important to help people recover quickly. But this aid should also include resources and guidance to help communities prepare for future disasters. Instead of withholding aid, we can use it to make sure communities rebuild in ways that keep people safer and reduce damage next time.

For example, after a hurricane, federal aid could help rebuild homes and schools using stronger materials that can handle high winds and floods. In wildfire-prone areas, aid could include funding to clear dry brush, create firebreaks, and teach people how to protect their homes. These actions would make a big difference and help communities avoid repeated destruction.

I encourage you to make sure federal disaster aid includes plans and resources to help communities prepare for the future. By doing this, we can rebuild smarter, protect more lives, and make sure people feel safe no matter what disasters come their way.

Sincerely,

Ms. Jarrell

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Racial profiling in police cases-MIKAELA

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Racial profiling in police cases-MIKAELA

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Dear Honolulu Police Department and other police departments in the USA,

I am writing this to you because I am sick and tired of seeing police officers treat colored people differently. I am tired of all the cases of these poor black children getting shot because they were "pulling out a gun".

(EVIDENCE)

Studies from Lead researcher Monika K. Goyal and her team showed that Black kids are 6x more likely to get shot than white children, and Hispanic children are 3x more likely to be shot. (CNN)

Police act as if the color of our skin determines how dangerous we are.

I have such a huge problem with it because I am Black myself. Whilst my mother and cousins are mixed and bright I am not. I take great pride in my race and culture, The black food and community, the history and endurance.

I have to deal with these stakes every day. Knowing that the wrong move if I am ever confronted by the police, it could get me killed. That I am seen as less than by the people who are meant to protect me.

(EVIDENCE)

Another study shows that Black people account for 60% of those killed by firearm homicide by police every year. (BRADY)

(REBUTTAL)

Some of you may say that whilst this is a problem, we can't just get rid of these problems instantly. And I agree. Solutions to problems like these take time. But that also means that we need communities that can keep strong and keep working for this even when results don't show.

(REBBUTAL)

Some of you may not be bothered since black people are only 14% of the population, but to remind you that's 48.3 million people facing the threat of death by police every day. Including the many who succumb to it every day.

(CALL TO ACTION)

So to you police all around the world, You may have noticed that I have given you problems, but no solutions. So here they are. I strongly urge that you take the extra time during training to really push this need, And you use harsher punishments ts when an officer commits such crimes against their community.

Just a girl who wants a better community

Mikaela Peoples

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Dear Waianae police, Hawaii government and Hawaiian people,

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I am informing you that Waianae is not a safe place for the gunshots and abuse happening

my evidence shows that in Hawaiian news a young 24-year-old man died in a stabbing in Wendy's 3 months ago because of telling a homeless man to stop moving furniture in the fast food restaurant

and a month later another worker at wewendylso died in the same incident long before had some more incidences in the area and even so, they are still happening today

I am having a problem because I am from the area where most of my family live and we live in fear of that happening to one of us we try to be aware of what is happening around us that is why my parents are strict with me and my brothers of getting out of the house

I am also worried that people will look at us differently because of what side of the Hawaiian island I am from eyes staring at me like I will do that thing too

so please do something to make this island a safe place for not only me but the ohana we share around the island.

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Dear Social Media,

It has caught my attention recently that some kids and teens are sad/depressed due to what they see online.

-Evidence

Studies from Dr. Mayes show that teens 12-15 that use social media a lot have depression and sometimes anxiety.

-Evidence

Teens can easily access extreme, inappropriate, and harmful content. Dr Murthy's report has also shown that deaths have been linked to suicide- and self-harm-related content.

With these studies we can see that there is a flaw in making content appropriate for the age viewing. I do notice however that it is also the kid/teen themselves that watch these things.

-Call to action

Still, you should help this by letting the viewers know what they're going to watch beforehand.

One more thing that catches my attention is messaging drama. This is a strange thing because nowadays this is something more common. This is another thing that affects teens mental health, for some reason. This could be fixed by adding a report feature. Or even better, having the teen click the block button. Which would not even cause the drama in the first place.

Please fix what social media has evolved into

From,

Antone Pacheco

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Aurora Muth- the war between me and the Hawai'i State Government.

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Aurora Muth- the war between me and the Hawai'i State Government.

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Dear, The Hawai's State Government,

We know that you are leaving the rich people in charge, but that needs to end NOW. I'm not going to be quiet about that issues that we are dealing with! We are not okay with rich people being left in charge because they are just destroying this beautiful island. We want you to listen to the people that have lived here for pretty much their whole lives, we want you to listen to our issues or issue about what's happening in and to our world.

Evidence-

Hawaiians were being kicked out of their own houses.

Evidence -

You are price gouging us by raising our prices to only prices that rich people can afford without having any worry about it.

It's ridiculous!

Call to action:

We need you to stop making even more buildings for tourists because it's just too much for our island to handle. We need you to listen to us and tel the people to call people out if they're breaking the laws, so that they will stop because I bet that if main people at places like the beach, they would stop doing it! We need you to not accept anymore demands from the rich people because they don't think about how it will affect us and only about how it will benefit them or people like them. We want you to make the Hawaiian's part of your decisions, so that the rules are good for everybody and not just benefitting rich people. We need you to stop making stupid decisions like price gouging us, building more and more hotels for tourists in Wahiawa, where I live. We will be happy that you are in control of rules, if you listen to us and are fair!

7th grade HTA student,

Aurora Muth

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Zach-An rc car company that makes low-quality parts.

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Zach-An rc car company that makes low-quality parts.

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Dear Axial,

You make many wonderful products such as the Scx24 Basecamp which I got for Christmas and absolutely love, but on the other end of the spectrum you make something called the Scx10 III Basecamp which so far has just been a money pit that is hard to get out of.

(EVIDENCE)

First, the axles broke so we bought new ones that you said were "all metal upgrades", but were nothing more than metal in the places it didn't need it; there was still plenty plastic. These new axles have had 4 replacements bought for them when they are supposed to be "super strong all metal axles."

I love driving my rc car but its just frustrating that you couldn't have raised the price just a little and put way higher quality parts in their so it wouldn't just sit on a workbench for weeks just rusting away.

(CALL TO ACTION)

All I want you, Axial Adventure to do is to make a new model called Scx10 4 Basecamp with all metal parts (not fake all metal parts) and a slightly higher price but not crazy so it's still affordable. That's pretty all I got to say to you.

Just An Rc Enthusiast,

Zach M.

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Dear Social Media

I've been noticing many kids and teenagers are being depressed and having Self-anxiety, Due to social Media. It also impacts on how kids and teenagers act, They talk back they give lots of attitude, and more.

Evidence:

Due to many Doctors' research, Kids between 12 and 17. They are the ones who are most likely to use Social Media the most. Teenagers are the ones that are mostly impacted by Social media. They have effortless access to many inappropriate things, which can also give them self-anxiety making them think they are not good enough.

Social media can also be hazardous causing some people to Commit suicide for absolutely no reason. Social media can also cause haters, If people hate other people they are most likely to become haters as well or commit suicide.

Social media can also cause lots of gossip cause if people see someone on social media they would gossip about them saying mean things you don't want to hear. Social media can also turn friends on each other. Making one friend hate the other but since they can't tell them, you know what they do, they go to other people and talk about their friends behind their backs.

Call to action:

I want you guys to help people know what they are going to get into I want you to warn them before they start doing Social media. Cause if you do it can help them so much and also save lives.

Social Media, Fix your mistakes cause if this goes on most of people's death will be on you.

From: Mason Solaita

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Dear Governor Josh Green

I’m writing because the housing prices in Hawaii are way too high, and it’s causing serious problems. Honestly, it’s hard not to feel frustrated because this situation is completely out of control. People can’t afford to live here anymore, and it seems like nothing is being done to help. Families are struggling just to pay rent, and some are even being forced to leave their homes—homes they’ve lived in their entire lives. How is that fair? It feels like the government is letting this happen while regular people suffer.

This needs to be fixed, and fast. Here are some things you should be doing:

1. Build more affordable homes that people can actually afford instead of just catering to rich investors.

2. Put limits on how much landlords can increase rent because rents are getting ridiculous.

3. Crack down on vacation rentals that are taking up housing locals need. It’s out of hand.

4. Help locals buy homes by stopping outside investors from snatching up everything.

5. Provide real support for people struggling with housing costs, like more rental assistance or financial help.

This situation isn’t just unfair—it’s unacceptable. Regular people shouldn’t have to fight so hard just to live in Hawaii, the place they call home. It’s your job to protect and support the residents here, not let the housing market push them out. Start doing something about it before even more families are forced to leave.

I hope you take this seriously because the people of Hawaii deserve better.

Sincerely, Sage Cabasug.

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Social media, the internet, and technology have transformed the way we communicate, access information, and live daily life. Social media platforms like Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok connect billions worldwide, fostering global interaction, entertainment, and information sharing. The internet, a vast network of interconnected systems, enables instant access to knowledge, e-commerce, online education, and virtual collaboration. Technology, encompassing innovations like smartphones, artificial intelligence, and IoT devices, has streamlined tasks, enhanced productivity, and improved healthcare, transportation, and entertainment.

However, these advancements bring challenges, including privacy concerns, misinformation, digital addiction, and the digital divide. Balancing the benefits and ethical use of these tools remains critical in shaping a connected and responsible future.

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Dear Social Platforms and Parents,

Many teen girls suffer from poor body image, bullying, comparing themselves to others, and many more things. These things cause them to be depressed or not think they are enough. Many teen girls and children die from suicide and the number has increase substantially over the years. Mostly going up in the numbers of girls dying. Many girls especially teen ones compare themselves to their peers or people on social platforms. They sometimes think that if they don't have a slim body, perfect hair, and many more things that the other girls have that something is wrong with them. Girls also tend to get very self conscious when around other teens that are not the same size or look the same as them. As being someone who doesn't have a slim body and doesn't look the same as my peers. I get self conscious because I don't look the same, I am bigger, and I often feel insecure about my body. I know that a lot of girls get bullied if they don't look the same, not popular, don't have a lot of friends, and many more things. Social platforms have a lot to do with them feeling insecure or depressed. Causing their mental health to become a very bad place which often times causes them to commit suicide. Social platforms is also sometimes the only way teens can connect with their friends or maintain a social life. Which also I can see why teens sped so much time on social platforms especially if their friends are on it. They could want to watch what their friends posts or just not want to feel excluded from what's going on. Which is a reason why social platforms are good for teens but sometimes they can have to much of it causing them to see themselves in a bad way. The American Psychological Association states that 41% of teens with the highest social platform rate have very poor mental health from being on it all day. The Yale School Of Medicine also states that suicidal deaths have increased by 62% from 2007 to 2021. Which just shows to how much teens mental health is a problem. Ive told many ways teens are affected but I haven't given any solutions. Ways that you can help teens and your own children from not feeling like this is to check on them. Help them not compare sizes or looks to others. Make sure that they know that they are good enough, and just lift them up and encourage them when they feel like this. Also talking with them about how they are feeling can really help.

Sincerely,

Myla Murao

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It has caught my attention that a lot of people have had an experience of cyberbullying due to them having perhaps cooler stuff in the game or being caught in a weird or bad-timing or situation.

Evidence: Studies show that a celebrity named, "Milly Bobby Brown" in the TV show," Stranger Things" has been cyberbullied a lot of time because of going blad to act in the TV show.

Call to action: please notice if there are any negative comments on a post or stories, and please remove them or sensor them.

Please fix this problem and make sure this doesn't happen again, Thank You.

sincerely: Rylan Yun

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Should we be concerned with where we get our pets?

Dear animal owners,

I believe we should be concerned about the places or environments our animals come from.

For example, backyard breeders.Backyard breeders take different animal breeds and put them together to make them more appealing to someone. But breeding different breeds of animals have downsides. Such as the pug. The pug has been mixed with so many other breeds of dogs that it's breathing passage has been deformed and is narrow, making it hard for a pug to breathe. Backyard breeders also are usually not educated on the topic and only breeding for the money, therefore creating a bad environment for the animals there, making the animals traumatized may lead to health issues. I push all future animal owners to educate themselves and adopt animals from a healthy place, and to stop encouraging backyard breeders to continue their work.

Sincerely,

Zia Baldwin.

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Dear Donald Trump,

I am addressing this letter because TikTok can be addictive. TikTok can lead to anxiety, loneliness, and depression. This is because people compare themselves to others on TikTok. It also causes the people to feel envy.

25% of those who do dangerous trends get hurt or even die. One of the trends that have killed people is the blackout challenge which tells the people to choke themselves until they blackout. “TikTok can lead a child to engage in a dangerous activity in the form of a challenge, lead to shorter attention spans, and expose them to constant negative comparisons. It may also expose children to misinformation which may lead to poor mental and physical health.”

When people go on TikTok they may see inappropriate things that they aren't supposed to see. Kids can get cyberbullied very easily which can lead to them feeling sadness, shame, and anger.

Also, the kids will be so focused on scrolling on TikTok and be on it all night. Like other social media apps, TikTok can be addictive. Children may spend excessive amounts of time on the app, which can negatively impact their schoolwork, sleep, and overall well-being.” Can affect their mental health and their progress in school. It can lead to the kid not wanting to hang out with friends or family. They may not want to go outside and play and want to stay on their phone and scroll through TikTok. The app doesn't have parental controls which means the children can watch whatever they want and lead to self-harm.

To install the app you need to be at least 13 years old. Young kids can download TikTok because the app has an age identifier that you put your age, but you can lie about your age and get the app. Young kids should not be able to get on to TikTok but they still do. I think that the app should have better security and not let the little children in the app.

Some countries banned TikTok like Afghanistan and  Kyrgyzstan claiming it is harmful to young people's mental health and development. Then there are countries that banned the app due to the content and moderation that is on the app. Somalia banned TikTok to limit indecent content or propaganda. then Nepal said it was disrupting social harmony and goodwill. Other countries banned it for other reasons, like Senegal which blocked it after claims that an opposition candidate who used the app to spread hateful messages, Uzbekistan cited noncompliance with data protection laws.

So have you figured out how dangerous TikTok is? Here are some ways to improve. First it should not be so easy for people under the age of 13 to get the app. Second, there should not be so many things that can hurt you, it should be illegal to post things that can hurt other people. Many people may not agree with me but I think that TikTok should be banned. I hope that this helps with your decision to ban the app.

Sincerely,

Malia Oliveira

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Dear Josh Green,

Just like my fellow classmate Sage has mentioned, housing prices are INSANE. People are paying tons of money just to live in an ok one-bedroom studio.

-Evidence

This is shown by my sisters place. My sister is 21 and she lives in Pupukea. Yeah, that may sound cool but no. She is living paycheck to paycheck! It is sad to see that she can't afford to be sick when I say that I mean it. Recently my sister got sick and couldn't work. This cost her tons because she didn't have any money for food or to pay rent. Luckily, my family helped her to get food and pay rent.

-Evidence

Also, another ridiculous thing, is that on top of all this stress, she is in online college. Yeah, that's right, my sister is living paycheck to paycheck while attending college.

-Call to Action

All I am asking is that instead of using billions of dollars on other things *cough, cough, The Rail* we could be building affordable houses for generations to come. Just think, whats going to happen to the future generations if we don't take action?

Sincerely, O'rian Woodfield

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It has caught my attention that Hawaii housing prices are at an all-time high. some people I know have had to move away from the beautiful islands of Hawaii due to these housing prices.

-Evidence. Across Hawaii, there is a shortage of rental homes affordable and available to extremely low-income households (ELI), whose incomes are at or below the poverty guideline or 30% of their area median income (AMI). Many of these households are severely cost-burdened, spending more than half of their income on housing.

Call to action- Instead of using the money to build unimportant things such as the rainbow bridge which was already ok start putting it towards affordable homes.

Sincereley, Marcos Wunderlich

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How Young Is Toon Young For Social Media

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How Young Is Toon Young For Social Media

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Sailor Bruce - How Young Is Too Young For Social Media

Dear Social Media,

I’ve noticed lately that a lot of kids under 12 are getting involved in social media, and I wonder if they’re too young for it.

-EVIDENCE

Studies show that kids under 12, who spend a lot of time on social media, can experience problems like bullying or negative self-image. Dr. Harris’s research found that the younger kids are, the more likely they are to compare themselves to others online, which can lead to feelings of sadness or inadequacy.

-EVIDENCE

Kids also face exposure to very inappropriate content. There have been reports of children seeing violent or harmful videos that aren’t blocked. This can affect their mental health and even cause anxiety, according to experts.

With this in mind, it’s clear that social media might not be the best place for kids under 12. The internet is not always safe for them, and they may not fully understand the risks and how to stay safe when using the platform.

-Call To Action

I think social media platforms should make stricter rules about age limits and create better filters to protect younger users from harmful content.

Another thing to think about is the pressure to fit in or keep up with others, which is a huge issue for kids under 12. They’re still figuring out who they are, and social media can make that even harder. Adding stronger parental controls or having a separate, safer space for younger users might help.

Please consider the impact social media has on younger kids and take action to make it safer for everyone.

From,

Sailor Bruce

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Ocean Pollution: Time to do something - Piper Weber

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Ocean Pollution: Time to do something - Piper Weber

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Dear fishermen,

When you lose a net or a fish trap, do you really think about where it ends up? I have the answer: In our beautiful waters. Growing up in Hawaii, a place where more than 1 million comes in per year due to fishing, I should be happy. Even though you lose equipment from time to time, you help supply the people with food, and bring in money and jobs. Well Im not. Im not happy. Every year, more than 25 million fish pots/traps are lost to the ocean. And thats not all! 218 km2 of trawl nets, 2963 km2 of gillnets, and 739,583 km of longline mainlines are lost to the ocean.

Well what happens after all of this ends up in the ocean? Well for one thing, roughly 10% of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch is made up of fishing equiptment. 10%! The GPGP is estimated to be twice the size of Texas, and 10% of that rubbish is fishing gear. Well what happens to the rest? The animals. For years, your nets have been disabling creatures like dolphins, turtles, and even whales! Take the whale for example. There is this net called a ghost net. The ghost net is a white net. When it is accedentally realesed from the boat, it sinks to the bottom of the ocean. Whales swiming arround there can get caught in the net and drown, not being able to get to the surface. Another example is dolphins. Many fishers catch dolphins by accident. When dolphins do not sense the nets, they are caught in them.

A clever way that scientists are solving this problem is attaching sensors that send out a high piched sound out. This informs dolphins of the net, but I belive that we can make this a sensor for all animals to sense. It is time to stop shrugging our shoulders when we lose equiptment and time to do something about it.

This is your call to action,

-Piper

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Dear schools,

I am writing to you because kids need recess and free time. First, they need to get vitamin D from the sun. Second, they should exercise. I think all schools should have either recess or P.E.

-Evidence Recess is necessary for young students and when it is taken away, the students show the major consequences. Recent studies have shown that a break for physical activity during the school day is more beneficial to test scores than not having a time outside the room. - EDU Registrar

Sincerely,

Maxwell

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Should we let these animals be locked up for their whole life?

I don't believe that animals should be locked up for their entire life unless they are hurt or sick. These animals belong in the wild running free, not thousands of miles away from their original home.

Dear Zoos around the world,

I am writing you to talk about the animals that live in zoos worldwide. I think that zoos do great things with helping animals when they are hurt or sick but after they recover I don't understand why you don't let them go. I read about zoos helping different animals populations by helping them have babies but how can any of these animals return to the wild if they are born in a cage. Wild animals belong in a wild environment where they can learn from their parents and be surrounded by other animals like them.

-Evidence

For AZA-accredited zoos and aquariums, conservation is “a priority” and “a key part” of their mission to save species from going extinct. But despite both overarching and specific examples of zoos claiming to save species from extinction, animals held in zoos have little to no opportunity for release to the wild. Rather than breeding endangered animals for eventual release back into their natural environments, zoo breeding programs breed animals to stock their public exhibits. (www.earth.org)

This makes me sad to think that we are ruining the lives of these beautiful creatures just so people can make money showing them in a cage. Please make changes in your programs so we can let them grow where they belong in nature.

From,

Chase Friel

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Dear Parents,

Video games should not have a bad rap because some games can teach you valuable life lessons. For example, Among Us teaches you never to trust strangers. You don't know who the murderer is. With Minecraft, creativity can be endless. You can build whatever you want in the different worlds. In Roblox, you must play out strategies in some video games and communicate with teammates. Parents should try not to look at the bad things about video games, but to look at what they can teach people.

Sincerely,

Ryden Arakawa

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Dakota Murphy - The Necessity of Legalizing Transgender Care

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Dakota Murphy - The Necessity of Legalizing Transgender Care

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Dear Conservative Lawmakers,

I am writing this because I have many things to say about transgender rights. You and other people say "America is the Country of Freedom" until it comes down to people who aren't the same as everyone else, the lgbtq community, women, transgender people, and immigrants.

I have a transmasc friend, one in America and the other in Europe. Somehow in Europe, they are more socially accepted and supported than my friend who lives in America the country of freedom.

The following states have banned transgender care: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Lousiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah West Virginia, and Wyoming. That is 26 out of 50 states, making it more than half of America banned transgender care.

Here are my reasons why transgender care shouldn't be banned. First, Sometimes people don't want to stick to their assigned gender at birth which isn't a problem and doesn't affect other people in a harmful way. Second, If that person is not threatening you and getting the majority of trans people to hurt others then that would be a problem but currently, there's been more harm done to them than to others. Lastly, Everyone should feel comfortable with their body. If being more feminine makes you more relaxed, then let them, as long as they aren't hurting or touching anyone, there's no problem.

People should be able to feel safe and good in their bodies, no matter what people think. It becomes a problem when the majority of the community is hurting others, that's when it's good to give a warning and help people learn it's wrong. I am asking for transgender care to be legal in all 50 states instead of only 24. Everyone should be comfortable with themselves in this free country.

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Dear, school

Every child that goes to school should have recess or at least PE. Many kids usually go to school and then come home if they don't have sports or anything and just watch their phone, and don't get the exercise. When schools have PE it makes it so children get the exercise. Another major thing kids need and adults is vitamin D because many kids do not want to go and play outside with their friends anymore because they can just play from there video games and talk to each other from there.

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August Dafft - should schools have cellphones?

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August Dafft - should schools have cellphones?

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Dear, Schools Administers,

I think that you should ban cell phones in school. When I have a conversation with someone, they are on their phones distracted or they are texting someone and not responding to me, which I consider rude or disrespectful.

I don't think that phones should be fully removed. Kids often need it for looking on the internet for answers, using it as a calculator, and communicating with their parents.

When I go into a classroom some people have their phones out and are usually playing video games and it is distracting other students from their work.

In summary, I think that you should remove cell phones from school because when we are on our phones we tend to get distracted from our daily lives and tasks. It helps us to only focus on school and not worry about the outside world.

I hope that you take into consideration how this impacts our teachers and students from school.

From: August Dafft

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Should the U.S. be doing more to prevent child poverty

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Should the U.S. be doing more to prevent child poverty

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Dear Government,

I am writing this to you since child poverty is a serious topic, this should be noticed especially since this is about the children and their future. Child poverty is a serious problem that needs to be addressed since this affects the children a lot because this makes the children lack access to basic necessities like food, clean water, a roof over their heads, and education. This trauma that's left on them of not having those things can affect how the child sees the world, I as a person who has seen this happen to someone, think that this is a serious problem from my point of view. Sure, some things help children in poverty try to solve, like donations, but this can't be enough to help the kids. So, I think that the government should help in some way or form.

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Dear Ms, Archbald,

The reason I'm writing this is because many schools end recess at middle school. But, I think that we should start doing it throughout middle school or at least up to 7th. Here are my reasons.

First, kids like myself have to release stress in the middle of the day because of all the stress that we gain during classes. recess is a perfect solution to solve this.

secondly, a lot of kids (and adults) don't get a lot of exercise or fitness at home. So recess is a lot of fun and it can get you some exercise in.

Evidence:

Accoding to SSM Health.com, "Recess is a much needed break (for students and teachers). Next, I know as a student that many kids love recess because it's a time to hang out and talk story with friends or other kids that could use some friends, socialize,5 and run around and have fun as a break in school.

sincerely, Soul Burgoyne

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Dear President Trump,

Gun violence is a huge issue that's not being talked about enough. The amount of school shootings in the last 2 years is disgusting. Every year nearly 22,000 kids are hurt or killed due to gun violence. If your kid was one of those, think about how you would feel. Gun violence is a topic that needs to be heard. Imanige the families that lost a child or multiple, Imanige their sadness, their suffering. due to gun violence,e and didn't get their child killer brought to justice. For "3 years in a row gun violence has been the main cause of deaths from kids 1 - 17." as stated in a public health article. That is more than any other form of death like car crashes which you would think would be more. In those 3 years, nothing has been done. Should kids go to school looking over their shoulders scared that a school shooter would come? no, they shouldn't. I have a cousin who's 9 years old and lives in Texas who's constantly worrying about school shootings. It is not justifiable if a teen started the school shooting they should still be held accountable. I call for more laws to be in place for the shooters and more security in schools to make sure no kid, teen, or toddler ever has to worry about this ever again.

Sincerely,

Eliana Johnson

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Dear, schools

Every child that goes to school should have recess or PE. The reason is kids normally come home from school and go on their phone some kids don't really play sports, or they don't even go outside. Kids need their exercise, and another major thing is kids and adults need vitamin D because many kids don't wanna go and play outside with their friends anymore because they can just play video game or go on TikTok or go on Instagram or messages and talk on there instead

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Dear josh green

I would like to inform you that the housing prices in Hawaii are causing A lot of problems for our community.

-Evidence The prices of homes and apartments are high right now, making it tough for people to afford a place to live. There aren't enough homes or apartments for everyone, which makes prices go up. More people are moving to cities for work, which makes the demand even higher. Building new homes is also more expensive, so prices for new houses and apartments go up too.

On top of that, some people buy lots of properties to rent out, which makes it harder for first-time buyers to find something they can afford. Because of this, many people with lower incomes are having trouble finding a place to live, and some might even face homelessness. Communities are trying to fix this by building affordable housing or limiting how much rent can go up, but it's still a big problem.

call to action- A call to action, in this case, would be urging people to support efforts to make housing more affordable, such as advocating for more affordable housing projects, pushing for rent control policies, or supporting local governments in creating solutions. People can also get involved by joining groups that work to address housing issues, pushing for better regulations, or simply raising awareness about the problem. Everyone can help by speaking up and taking action to make housing accessible for everyone.

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Dear Trainer of the Lifeguards,

Aloha,

I was taught to respect lifeguards because of legends like Buffalo Keaulana, Duke Kahanamoku, and Eddie Aikau. They were true watermen—fearless, selfless, and always putting others before themselves. Eddie risked his life to save his crew, and Duke saved multiple people on just a wooden surfboard that barely floated. But even with all their bravery and skill, they never acted cocky or disrespectful. They were humble and kind and lived with aloha—something I wish all lifeguards would carry on today.

I surf a lot at White Plains, a great beach that now has a nickname, "Marvin's Point." I'm not sure whose idea that was, but what's more concerning is how some lifeguards behave there. A few of them are nice, but unfortunately, some aren't. Instead of looking out for everyone, they act snobby, drop in on kids, snake people, and even take advantage of elders in the lineup. I've seen it happen, and it's happened to me too. It's frustrating because the beach should be a place to have fun and feel safe, not a place where people—especially kids, women, and elders—get mistreated by those who are supposed to be role models.

There's also another lifeguard at Makaha who doesn't treat everyone equally. He ignores certain people and only pays attention to those he thinks have value for him and his standing. As someone who is Japanese myself, it's disappointing to see someone from my background act this way. Japanese culture teaches respect and kindness to others, so seeing someone act the opposite of that is really frustrating. The ocean doesn't belong to just one group of people—it belongs to everyone, and lifeguards should lead by example in making sure that respect is shared.

To whoever is training the lifeguards, I ask that they learn how to protect people in the water and treat people with respect and kindness. Lifeguards risk their lives for others, and that's something to be proud of. But part of being a true waterman isn't just about skill—it's about humility, respect, and carrying on the legacy of those who came before.

Thank you to all the lifeguards who work hard in the sun every day and genuinely look out for others. But for those who don't treat people with fairness and respect, I hope this message reminds you of what being a lifeguard is really about.

Mahalo,

Taeo nakashima

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Dear US Government,

Many people who drive do so while texting, risking the safety of the driver and the others driving as well. Although drunk driving has caused more deaths, texting while driving or even distracted driving leaves people just as impaired as they are while at the minimum blood-alcohol level. And yet texting while driving is not considered as serious as drunk driving.

Evidence:

In 2022, nearly 12% of all fatal accidents were related to cellphone use while driving, and 362,415 people were injured from non-fatal car accidents as well.

Call to Action:

You can help with this problem as well. Please don't text while driving, and if you see others texting while they drive, let them know how dangerous it is and try to get them to stop.

This has become more and more prevalent over the years, with a 12% increase in fatal accidents from 2020 to 2022. This number doesn't even include the number of people injured from non-fatal accidents. These numbers could be reduced if texting while driving or distracted driving was treated as seriously as drunk driving. If it were treated as bad as drunk driving, it would encourage people to not text while driving.

Treating distracted driving like drunk driving could make driving safer for everyone.

Sincerely, Elson Lapot

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Dear President Trump,

I believe that you should ban abortions in the U.S. for many reasons. First of all, this is an act of murder and should be punished. Whoever shall be having an abortion is a murderer and will have to be put into jail or any other place. This is not right.

Evidence-unsafe abortions are the third leading cause of preventable maternal deaths worldwide. They are also the cause of five million largely preventable disabilities, according to the World Health Organization.

Secondly, there are many different places where the baby can go. First of all, many families over 100,000 can take their kids in for adoption. This is a way safer and better way for everyone.

Evidence-There are many impacts to having an abortion. You can get depression, grief, anxiety, lowered self-esteem, regret, attachment, flashbacks, and substance abuse. These are the affects of abortions.

Lastly, there are many reasons why you should choose life for other people. There are places that the babies can go to. There are many side affects and bad things that could happen if the mom chooses to have an abortion.

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Kaydence Garma - Orcas Shouldn't Be Held In Captivity

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Kaydence Garma - Orcas Shouldn't Be Held In Captivity

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Dear SeaWorld and sea parks all around the world,

You should all know that keeping Orcas captive in tiny concrete enclosures not suitable for their kind is inhumane. Whether born in captivity or not, all orcas have a tendency to dive deep, and swim far. As stated in a National Geographic article, "However, it's become increasingly clear that orcas do not thrive in captivity. They have evolved to swim up to 40 miles a day, foraging for food and exercising. They dive 100 to 500 feet, several times a day, every day. Whether they're born in the wild or in captivity, all orcas born have the same innate drive to swim far and dive deep."

Tilikum, a male orca with a collapsed dorsal fin whose been held in captivity since he was approximately two years old. Ever since he's been exploited and used as an attraction. Back at SeaLand, he was held in a 20x30 foot steel container when SeaLand wasn't open. During the winter he would be in there for 14 hours. Even his tank at SeaWorld wasn't fit for his size as Tilikum became 20 feet long, you held him in a medical tank that was 31 ft long x 23 ft wide x 12 ft deep. You could compare this to a human living in a bathtub. A news reporter in the documentary Blackfish it says, "If you were in a bathtub for 25 years, don't you think you'd get a little irritated, aggravated, maybe a little psychotic?".

Aggression is normal in all species, but in the wild killer whales have thousands of miles to swim and escape danger. That's not available in captivity. Jeff Ventre recalled an incident with two orcas, Kandu and Corky, saying, "I think it was 1998. Kandu, trying to assert her dominance over Corky, rammed Corky. It fractured her jaw, which cut an artery in her head, and then she bled out." Tilikum is known as an aggressive killer whale due to two incidents where he killed a trainer. But his aggression is due to the mistreatment he endured back at SeaLand. He would be trained with another orca, if Tilikum didn't listen both would be punished, not receiving any food. This caused the other orca to rake Tilikum. Christopher Porter states, "There would be times in certain seasons that Tilikum would be covered head to toe with rakes. Rakes are teeth on teeth, and raking the skin and from head to toe you could see blood and you could see scratches, and he would just be raked up."

You mistreat killer whales and even lie about their species. Due to captive orcas dying young, you say orcas live 25 to 30 years. You say that they live a short life span in the wild compared to captivity. That's a lie though, as orcas in the wild have the life span as a human. In Blackfish, Garrett has stated, "And of course that's false. We knew by 1980, after half a dozen years of the research, that they live equivalent to human life spans." You also lie about collapsed dorsal fins saying that 25% percent of killer whales have a collapsed dorsal fin as they get older. Jeff Ventre has stated, "Dorsal collapse happens in less than 1% of wild killer whales. We know this. All the captive males have 100% collapsed dorsal fins."

It is 2025. There's at least 54 orcas around the world in sea parks. It has been over 50 years since orcas have been held in captivity, and it should stop now. San Diego SeaWorld may have stopped their orca breeding program, but you plan to keep your five orcas for many decades to teach those about their species. You talk about inspiring people to help wild animals, when you yourself are harming them by just keeping them captive. You're going to keep them until they die under your care, when they could be released into the wild and live out the rest of their life in the ocean. Their natural habitat. All orcas deserve to live free in the wild, and that needs to start now.

Sincerely,

Kaydence Garma

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Dear School

I'm here to say kids should not have homework because school is for learning and all the work that we have should stay at school home is a place for the kids to rest their brains not for them to keep working school work stays at school not for use to bring home.

sometimes parents wonder why their kid has so much homework in one day that they can't do it all but that's kinda why I think kids shouldn't have homework :)

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52#: Should Schools Teach Students Kitchen and Household Skills?

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Should Schools Teach Students Kitchen and Household Skills? - Open Letter Padlet Post written by Rachel

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Should Schools Teach Students Kitchen and Household Skills? - Open Letter Padlet Post written by Rachel

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Dear HTA leaders,

I'm writing to you about a suggestion I have for school education. I believe schools should help students prepare for their future. I understand that Science, Math, and other typical school teachings are important for students to help them become smart. However, a lot of things we learn in school are not relevant to our future. Therefore, I am suggesting another way of teaching students. I want students to be taught how to cook and how to handle taxes. Things to help children prepare for the future. So they can make a living for themselves. The reason why I want schools to do this is because adulthood is a big thing and can be stressful to handle especially if you aren't ready or prepared for it. When we become adults, we can't always rely on our family or friends to support us. Most of the time, we only learn half of what we need to know for adulthood by our parents. So I've come to the logical conclusion that schools should teach students how to prepare for the future. I understand that this may be hard to do because this is how schools have been for so many years and it can be hard to let go of traditional things. But for the sake of our adults of the future, preparing our children for the future will benefit the lives of many. I hope you understand.

-Rachel K - Class of 2030

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School Quality and Effectiveness ~Aaliyah~  

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School Quality and Effectiveness ~Aaliyah~  

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Dear Teachers and Principles

Many students of all ages suffer from the constant longing for better grades. Some of this is because of personal needs, and some of this is parents pressuring them to have better grades. This is mostly due to homework. Homework has a very significant effect on our grades which makes school very stressful since we have to go to school for an extended amount of time, do work inside of school, clubs, and extracurricular activities, eat meals, hang out with friends occasionally, personal hygiene and healthcare, and after all of that homework. this has been very normalized and students have had to deal with this for centuries. How is this a problem? According to (this article) "academic stressors, including exams and homework, were associated with higher cortisol levels (a stress hormone)" which means this amount of pressure is being added from ages as young as 6 years old. This can affect the students well being as it increases the chance of depression, overthinking, perfectionism, and so much more mental health problems. I'm not bringing this up so that we can get rid of homework but rather to lower the effect it has on student's grades.

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Dear National League Commissioners,

As a typical teenage boy who loves football, I enjoy putting the work in to sharpen my skills and improve. Nowadays, athletes have to put in less effort due to advanced technology. Let's limit it.

Studies from MonClubSportif state that some athletes and trainers are bombarded with pages of data. In a few years, they will become too reliant on technology. They also state that coaches and trainers will be unable to make decisions based on their own experience.

Technology has been a big step for humans, and sports specifically. However, most technology in sports still has errors. They are not infallible and can provide incorrect data which could lead to poor decision-making, incorrect results, poor performance monitoring, etc.

I am not saying that we should completely remove technology from sports; I am just asking to limit its use so that it doesn't take over the sports world.

Sincerely, Karsen Ballesteros

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Cora christensen- How young is too young to have social media? 

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Cora christensen- How young is too young to have social media? 

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Dear parents,

In today's world social media is everywhere and lots of people use it to stay in touch with friends and family. but we need to figure out how young is too young to have social media. I think that the appropriate age to have social media is when you turn 18. Younger kids aren't at the proper maturity as an adult. There are many reasons why being younger than 18 is too young to have social media.

-Evidence

First, social media can show things that aren't appropriate for their age. There also can be cyberbullying. Those strangers might try to talk to kids and that's not safe. using social media can also make kids feel sad, anxious, or bad about themself.

-Call to action

I think that when you turn 18 is a good age to have social media and feel safe while on social media.

Sincerely

Cora Christensen

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Kennedy Davis - Social Medias affect on teen mental health 

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Kennedy Davis - Social Medias affect on teen mental health 

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Dear parents of teens,

When you have a child in middle school it can be hard when the question of social media rolls around. Every parent has a different opinion on social media, some support the idea of their children owning a social media account, and others don't. There are many reasons for parents to deny there kids access to social media, but one of the most commonly talked about reasons is that social media has a major impact on teens mental health.

As a teenager who has limited access to social media I started noticing how I felt more left out without social media, my friends would always be posting stuff about each other and they always had so much to talk about, when we would hang out they would always say things like "Oh my gosh did you see her post?" and since I didn't have social media I'd always feel left out.

As a teen I think that it doesn't help your child when you don't give them internet access, I think as we are growing up in a world that a lot of things run on the internet keeping your child from that has a bigger negative effect on them cuasing them to feel left out or uncool because they can't fit in.

When people talk about their childs mental health going downhill due to social media I think we look in the wrong area of social media, often times if people are on social media for a long time it affects their mental health more than just having social media.

Studies say that teens who spend more time on social media are at a high risk of depression, one study found that teens who spend the most time on social media were 13-66% more likely to report depression.

As a teenager who isn't aloud to have social media which makes me feel super left out I ask other parents to please consider that when telling your child no to social media there is other ways to make it so your child can have social media and you feel okay with it for explain, if your teen wants an instagram account make it so it's on your phone or you have access to it, and moderate time spent on it.

From, Kennedy Davis.

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Makoa Withy-Allen - Does Better Sports Equipment Unfairly Improve Athletic Ability?

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Makoa Withy-Allen - Does Better Sports Equipment Unfairly Improve Athletic Ability?

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Dear Sports Equipment Managers and Analysts,

I am a middle school boy who, like most other middle school boys, loves sports. I watch them, play them, and buy jerseys of my favorite players. I have a favorite team where I live, but they are in the bottom pool because they don;t have as much money as other teams.

This team is the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors. I got to go into their weight room and look around one time. It was nice and I was amazed at the equipment until I looked at other schools. Take Oregon for example; they could spend $68,000,000 on their weight room, called the Marcus Mariota Sports Performance Center, which gave them a ton of top-notch equipment and recovery options. In turn, they get all the top recruits, including ones from Hawaii, such as their star quarterback Dillon Gabriel, instead of some going to Hawaii.

Now, I know this might seem fair to you because it is their money to spend, but really it is extremely unfair. They had a period where they made a ton of money, and they chose to spend it on stealing players from other states. We cannot control how they spend their money, but we can regulate how much they can spend.

However, I understand that teams do still have to compete against other teams with great players, and the underdogs have a chance to win. Take the Alabama vs. Vanderbilt game. Alabama has more advanced equipment than Vanderbilt, and more stars, but they still lost. You see, it doesn't give a huge boost to ability, and you still have to play disciplined. It also makes the game more fun because players are faster and harder hitting. But when you have good equipment, it does improve your athletic ability. The Riddell Axiom gives you wider vision and better safety than the Speedflex, and in turn the Schutt F7 is safer than the Schutt Vengeance Pro. When teams get better helmets, it makes their good players great and their great players amazing.

So please; regulate the spending on equipment of teams. They can spend money, but it is getting insane how much they spend. Teams are falling to the bottom pool because they don't have as much money as other teams. Spending is okay, but too much isn't.

From a dedicated athlete and sports fan,

Makoa Withy-Allen

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Teen Mental Health - Chanel Rulloda Beate

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Teen Mental Health - Chanel Rulloda Beate

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Dear Parents, and Social Media Platforms

Dear Parents and Social Media Platforms,

I would like to inform you that many teens are in crisis with their mental health. Some are bullied at school and suffer with their Mental Health because of maybe ongoing bullying that goes on at school or on Social Media platforms, like some teens may be faced with harmful, mean comments and harassment on social media, which can make them feel anxious, sad, or hopeless, meaning it makes it more impactful for there Mental health

- EVIDENCE -

Studies have also shown that one in seven (14%) of kids between 10 and 19 years old have mental health struggles, but yet these mental health conditions do not get treated or much attention. Also, another research shows that spending too much time on social media can harm their Mental Health with anxiety and depression. Still, even though many teens are struggling, to deal with this, there are not that many people willing to help or deal with this matter.

So I am informing you, Parents, to step up and have the need to talk to your kids about mental health or their mental health so you can help them or comfort them when they are dealing with this. Social media platforms should also step up by stopping online bullying and help others who are dealing with this with comfort, so they can feel safe when on social media, and so they don’t need to feel the struggle, worry feeling when they go on social media.

So now I may ask that we work together to help make teens feel safe, supported, and heard. If not they will have to struggle with their Mental health on their own with no help and with no comfort from anyone. So may we all take part in helping teens who at crisis with other mental health to be heard.

Sincerely,

Chanel Rulloda Beate

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Dear schools,

I am writing to you for your safety and the safety of all the students. First, some schools are near jails and the prisoners could use the kids as hostages. Second, in some places in the world, there are high crime rates and schools could be one of the targets.

(Evidence)About 857,500 violent incidents and 479,500 nonviolent incidents were recorded by public schools in 2021-22. Sixty-seven percent of public schools reported having at least one violent incident. Also, 59 percent reported having at least one non-violent incident.

Sincerely,

Alex.A

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Should We Bring Back Animals From Extinction?

Dear Colossal Laboratories & Biosciences,

De-extinction is a big jump for all around the world. It could help everyone worldwide, but are you sure it's safe? Bringing back the Wooly Mammoth could be very dangerous since it's the first animal you are trying to bring back from extinction. Not to mention, it's also a pretty big animal to be the first that's brought back from extinction. You guys might be thinking that you are doing better for the world, but what if you guys are doing it for the worse?

This organization will be bringing back the extinction of the Wooly Mammoth, but it probably won't even be a Wooly Mammoth.

Evidence #1

According to npr.org, they have stated that "Colossal has been working to bring the mammoth, the dodo bird, and other extinct species back to life using the latest cloning and genetic engineering techniques. And now the company says scientists have for the first time created induced pluripotent stem cells for the mammoth's closest living relative: Asian elephants."

But this doesn't make any sense because the organization would have to test their genetic modification numerous times on different Asian elephants, and they can't just bring back one Woolly Mammoth and be done for the day, they would have to genetically modify more Asian elephants to keep the Woolly Mammoth from extinction.

How could they be an organization for bringing back extinct animals when they are using an endangered animal to bring the woolly mammoth back? This doesn't make any sense as to why they are trying to use de-extinction whilst using an endangered species to bring the Woolly Mammoth back to life.

Evidence #2

fws.gov states that "Today, the Asian elephant (Elephas maximus) is classified as endangered according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List. Estimates range from 30,000 to 50,000 in the wild, with continued declines mainly caused by habitat loss, human-elephant conflict, and poaching." This shows that the Asian elephant is considered an endangered species due to human-elephant conflict. Colossal could be putting the Asian elephant and us in danger. This organization might also be the reason for the endangerment of the Asian elephant. Colossal is trying to genetically modify an endangered species, but they're supposed to be an organization where they bring back extinct animals.

The whole de-extinction would be a back-and-forth type of thing because it's technically not even expanding the population, they are using animals that we have now to bring back extinct animals unless it's an overpopulated species, which the Asian elephant is not.

I'm not saying that bringing back the Woolly Mammoth would be a bad thing, but we don't know if it'll be a good thing. Colossal could bring the Asian elephants even closer to extinction while trying to bring back that Woolly Mammoth. I think we should not bring back the Woolly Mammoth because we don't know their behavior, what they eat, where their habit is, and so much more, and it could doom us for the worse.

Sincerely,

Alexus Rivera

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Malia popek - what is the right age for social media?

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Malia popek - what is the right age for social media?

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Dear parents of teens, when you have a child in middle school it can be hard when the question about social media comes in. And I can relate because I knew when I first started wanting Instagram and other social media it gave my mom a lot of stress because of all the things I would continue asking after the answer was "no". Anyways. I think that this is different for everyone and different for some parents but as a kid myself with all social media I see how dangerous it is, there are very weird and creepy people who want to use little girls for things. I think the age 15+ can have any social like Instagram Tiktok and other apps, I know some of you may be thinking well why not 13 your 13 and have social media but the reason for that is because I post videos and I am an influencer with a few of my friends with, lots of following who look up to me to post, I am very careful with what I post because many many people will see it and can screenshot it as well. But the many reasons why I think 15+ is because I want my kid to be a kid for as long as he or she can before they start worrying about taking pictures and always being on their phone as well as creepy people trying to be someone they arent. Many people out there are horrifying so be careful who you talk to and what you post because you don't know who will see it or what they will do with it, as well as sharing your information online and pictures of the area you live, in for your own safety.

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Dear parents and Social Platforms,

Most Teens deal with Mental health challenges balancing school, home life, personal life, and sometimes work. It can be a really big and tiresome challenge. A lot of us have high expectations placed on us to maintain good grades, excel in a sport or extracurricular activity, get accepted into a good college, and still show up for our families.

Often times teens are expected to choose the career they're gonna do for the rest of their lives and get started right away. Families sometimes pressure teens into thinking about the future and success. high-paying jobs like lawyers, doctors, and nurses take many years of hard work in school, and some teens are expected to embark on that journey even before high school graduation. Pressure from all different parts of life really takes a toll on teen's mental health.

At times the pressure can make teens develop mental health disorders such as anxiety, depression, OCD, and others. There are 70 mental health disorders listed in the DSM-5 and many people are at risk for developing at least 1 throughout their lifetime. Teens are often ill-equipped to deal with all of this pressure. In the most serious cases teens turn to unhealthy coping mechanisms such as drinking, vaping, doing drugs, and self-harm like cutting or burning themselves, and in the worst cases suicide.

Though they might have friends it's not always easy to open up and sometimes when they do they don't get the support they need. So, Parents, all I'm asking is to check in with ur children, give them some space and if they can't open up to you that's okay find them someone they can be comfortable sharing their feelings with. Remind your teens that they're doing a good job and they are enough as they are.

Here's a message for the teens you know, "You don't want to do something permanent to something that can be resolved."

Sincerely,

Jhenaea Couch

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Gender-Should parents of boys teach them how to respect women?-Lexi C.

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Gender-Should parents of boys teach them how to respect women?-Lexi C.

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Dear parents of boys worldwide,

I am writing this letter to you because I often see boys being very disrespectful to women. whether it's verbally or physically, also most boys/men are taught that males are the "superior" gender. you can see how boys/men disrespect girls all the time and most of the time it goes unnoticed. Did you know that most crimes committed against women are by men? “Ninety percent of people who commit violent physical assault are men. Males perpetrate 95% of all serious domestic violence. 6. The U.S. Department of Justice estimates that 95% of reported assaults on spouses or ex-spouses are committed by men against women.” (True Self Healing) As a girl myself, it makes it harder to watch this go on as if it's nothing. Most of you parents out there will disagree with me strongly and say you can raise your son however you want to. Yes, you most definitely can, but would you raise your daughter the same? Or would you raise her to allow people to do whatever they want to her because they are "more superior" If you are going to raise your son to have that mindset that he is more powerful than a woman, if not, parents I ask you to raise your sons to respect women and make it known that both genders are equal in life.

- Sincerely Lexus_Jane C.

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Dear teachers, I have been struggling with my homework lately, because of due dates. Now I'm telling all of you that the way you're making work due, makes me stressed! You need to understand that I can't stay up late or finish it the next morning! When I had to stay up late to do my homework, I got tired of it. When I had to finish it the next day, I saw that you graded it as "missing" and I got so mad that I needed to rest myself but my parents told me to finish it, but I quit and told them I can't, see now? I get tired that it's just too difficult so I keep wasting my time and do only a bit of every homework even missing ones and complain and complain to my parents! I inform you to make those due dates more easy! My eyes will tire, my arms will hurt, and my bottom will feel like a rock! If you make them even more, I will even have to put an all day and all night to finish up all of this! Please, make due dates easy, so I can have more time to rest, and finish up in two weeks, and there will never be any missing anymore!

I need your understanding, Alana.

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Should all young kids learn how to invest in the stock market?  - Dayson Morash

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Should all young kids learn how to invest in the stock market?  - Dayson Morash

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Dear Educators and Parents,

Financial literacy is an important skill that many young people do not learn early enough. One aspect of financial education that could benefit kids is understanding how to invest in the stock market. Teaching kids about investing could help them develop useful money management skills that is crucial to know in the future.

Investing teaches patience, responsibility, and decision-making. Instead of only learning how to spend money, kids could learn how to save and grow their money over time. This knowledge may help them make better financial choices as they get older.

Additionally, learning about the stock market could prepare kids for financial independence. Many adults struggle with saving and investing because they were never taught how to do it. If kids start learning at a young age, they may be better equipped to manage their finances as adults.

Some people might say that investing is too complex or risky for kids. However, with proper guidance, they can learn the basics in a way that is appropriate for their age.

Schools and parents could introduce simple concepts, ensuring that children understand both the risks and benefits of investing. It would be very helpful for schools to include basic investing lessons in their curriculums and for parents to have discussions about money at home. By doing this, we can help children develop important financial skills that will benefit them in the long run.

Sincerely,

Dayson Morash

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Teen mental health in a crisis - Kayleigh Green

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Teen mental health in a crisis - Kayleigh Green

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Dear social media apps, parents, or teen struggling mentally

dear social media, parents, teens, Many teens nowadays are in a crisis mentally speaking. Some is because being bullied online or in school, getting influenced on different topics that could lead to mental health problems, or just them being on their phones or social media too long being away from reality and friends and family. Sometimes getting space from people or having alone time which can help with their mental health since sometimes it is good to get some space from people if it becomes too much which isn't a bad thing. Teens do deserve to get the attention when it comes to their mental health which they deserve. Unfortunately most teens are overlooked when it comes to their mental health which isn't okay since this can lead to them feeling misunderstood or even like a burden some of the time.

EVIDENCE

At least 1 out of 5 teens between the ages 12 and 18 suffer from at least one mental health disorder. Even though it may not seem like a lot that is 20% of teens between that age group, but at least 49.5% for adolescents will struggle with a disorder at least once in their life.

So parents or guardians ect. please talk with your teen and check up on them. Even just asking how they are doing can go a long way. Make sure they are not struggling in silence and let them know they are seen. Make sure they are not getting bullied or spending too much time on social media. So please now give teens the attention and support they deserve as they go through a tough time don't look away or refuse to help them lets all take a part into helping those in need so we all feel recognized.

sincerely, Kayleigh Green

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Rae Caliedo- Is Love bombing and gaslighting overtalked tramua used?

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Rae Caliedo- Is Love bombing and gaslighting overtalked tramua used?

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Dear victims and the abusers of victims,

Before i start id like to say the word "victim" can mean a lot of diffrent things to a lot of diffrent people. Some people are victims of addictions, victims of physical abuse and mental/ emotinal abuse. Im fortunate enough to not be a victim of phsycail abuse but unfortunate enough to be a victim of emotinal and mental abuse.

Many people have gone through gaslighting, love bombing, narcasstic people, and mainpultive people. Many people are victims of these people who abuse us emotinally. I say us because I myself am a victim of this. As life and the world moves forward together as a society weve become more aware of these things, how to identify when your stuck in a relationship that maybe be gaslighting, love bombing, and manipulative and narcassctic. But some people may even go as far to say that this topic/ issue has had to much awareness and is used to much and people are now labeling things are love bombing or manipulative or gaslighting of some sort.

My hope is that whoever reads my open letter, victim or not, the abuser of the victim or not, someone who has never gone or experience this or not that you have an open mind reading this and that you see were im coming from and be open to seeing it from my perspective.

Personally for me, I feel if someone if gonna say or state. " People are just labeling things as love bombing or gaslighting, and its being overused." I feel in my opion that you can only speak on that issue/topic if youve been through it before wether your the victim or abuser. As i stated earlier I myself am currently in a relationship that ive been a victim in. A victim of gaslighting, love bombing, narcassistic, manipulative and its draining. its tiring. With love bombing its when someone gives you all there love attention care and affection at the beginning of a relationship but then stops the second you start getting attachged. no matter what relationship it might be it applys to any of them. Gaslighting is someone acussing you over and over again of things being your fault when really its theirs, their being selfish and it makes the victim question their reality, makes them question everything theyve ever done. Narcassiticness. I hate hearing this word because of how much power it holds towards me personally and how much meaning it has. When a person is Narcassitic they dont know how to take accoundablity in otherwors say sorry and own up to what they did. They say sorry and that theyll chnage but their words mean nothing to mean when actions mean everything to me. You can say you love me and then treat me like the dirt on your shoe. You can say your gonna change for me then do nothing at all. Your words mean nothing to me if your not gonna follow it up with an action to defend it. I need a sorry without an excuse and instead with an action to prove it.

I cant tell you how many times ive told myself and my abuser that statemment i just wrote out. And what makes it even worse is that my abuser has done all of those things so its like a really tight bow on top to top it all off. I wont be name dropping or saying who my abuser is, they know who they are, they know what they did was wrong and yet still cannot take accounablity or change their actions.

So to whoever reads this victim, abuser, a person whos never experienced this before please keep my words in your thoughts. " Your words mean nothing to me when your actions mean everything to me, you can say i love you to me then the next day treat me like the dirt on your shoe."

-Rae Caliedo

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Olesya Ochirov - Animals - Are zoos immoral?

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Olesya Ochirov - Animals - Are zoos immoral?

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To those responsible for zoos,

While zoos may help with protecting wildlife, I believe that they can sometimes be cruel. Animals are often kept in small and unnatural enclosures, which can lead to stress. Zoos should focus more on animal well-being.

It’s important for visitors to see animals because it’s educational and entertaining, but it should not come at the expense of the animals health and well being. I think that I better option for zoos would be to make them more like sanctuaries, where people can still visit to see the animals, but the animals can leave and return to the sanctuary if they get injured or need care.

Sincerely,

Olesya Aiurzhana Sergeyevna Ochirov

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dear parents.

Have you ever had the thought of your actions effecting your own kid. Ever took consideration on how they felt after your bad comment towards them. Most parents think they did nothing wrong when scolding their child but they never really show them how to do the rights of their bad actions.

Parenting can be hard even when your own child is doing wrongs. Fixing the, by yelling can maybe help but it can never help there feeling towards it. Children take their parents actions towards them in a serious way. After getting yelled at some children may think that they’re the problem, or may think that the parents have hatred against them. Some children even distance there self away from everything and everyone including their own parents when they feel that way.

Im proving my point on this topic because i had an personal connection with this. I used to do all these things just to get my parents attention because i felt like they couldn’t understand or recognize their own daughter. But after dealing with all the yelling and what they would say would really get to me and make me think “I’m i the problem all along”.

This really effected me because after i could never open up to my parents again and keep all these mixed feelings to myself. I never could’ve thought they could understand it. Think it was best to tell them whats going on i couldn’t bring myself to do it. Thinking about all the times they yelled at me would make me think they would just yell at me again for what i was going through.

This taught me to own up to my mistakes over the course of time and finally opened up. I had a-lot to talk about scene i kept all of it hidden. They understood were i was coming from and letting them know how their comment affected me mentally and physically.

I hope this could teach parents that even thought your kid is doing bad things, maybe there is a reasoning behind it and you have to open your eyes and try to known what the problem is without making your child feel less secure.

sincerely-Zurri

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Cayden Magbual-gun violence(should teachers have guns?)

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Cayden Magbual-gun violence(should teachers have guns?)

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Dear schools and EMS

school shootings and just gun violence, in general, have been going on in America for decades now, and I want to give you some information about how schools all over America need to be safer for children.

First, The United States gun ownership has more civilian gun ownership than other nations, making it easy for individuals to access firearms—second, Mental health problems. Now Mental health plays a role in not only school shootings but other mass shootings and more, and the need for accessible mental health services is mostly blamed by many, but sources say there is misinformation about the connection between mental health and violence. Third, by improving physical security, and emergency preparedness, and ensuring your kid is okay by regularly meeting and talking to them about school safety issues.

Sources state that there have been over 400 school shootings since the '90s which I think is ridiculous of how safety for schools has not improved for the past 30 years. the government should do something about these shootings going around in all states. children should never be scared of school and parents should never worry about their children attending school. I also think that the question should teachers be armed with guns? is such a scary thing to think about considering that we are talking about teachers whose job is to teach students and help students to reach their potential and make sure they feel safe and not interact with violence. Schools and classrooms should have a defense mechanism to protect the children and teachers.

Sincerely,

Cayden Magbual

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Dear Hawaii Department of Education,

Kids need recess. They need to release their energy so they can be more focused. If they are more focused they can learn the lessons and remember them when they go home.

For example, Many studies show that kids who have no to short recess have lower focus levels, are more cranky during class, and have heightened energy levels during class. This is not a good practice for schools. For one thing, recess gives kids time to exercise, encourages creativity, and builds kid's mental health.

Who do you think will be more happy to go to school? The kid who has a friend at recess to play with? Or the kid who sits in class learning timetables. I think the answer is clear.

Clearly, the kids who have recess will remember school like learning with their friends and playing at recess, and not sitting in a chair filling out a sheet of paper.

Some people say that recess will distract kids and make kids forget their education and make them forget their time at school besides recess. Some people think they just play and don't develop skills like problem-solving, or communication.

But, this is wrong. They are not just playing and letting the information out of their mind, because recess statistically improves memory in kids proven by a study done by the CDC (Center For Disease Control and Prevention).

So with the evidence provided I am asking you to make recess mandatory for kids through middle school.

Best Regards, Alexander Rodas.

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Dear President Trump,

Gun violence is a huge issue that's not being talked about enough. The amount of school shootings in the last 2 years is BAD. Every year nearly 22,000 kids are hurt or killed due to gun violence. If your kid was one of those, think about how you would feel. Gun violence is a topic that needs to be heard. Imanige the families that lost a child or multiple, Imanige their sadness, their suffering. due to gun violence,e and didn't get their child killer brought to justice. For "3 years in a row gun violence has been the main cause of deaths from kids 1 - 17." as stated in a public health article. That is more than any other form of death like car crashes which you would think would be more. In those 3 years, nothing has been done. Should kids go to school looking over their shoulders scared that a school shooter would come? no, they shouldn't. It is not justifiable if a teen started the school shooting they should still be held accountable. I call for more laws to be in place for the shooters and more security in schools to make sure no kid, teen, or toddler ever has to worry about this ever again.

Sincerely,

Lily skaltsas lenchanko

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My Question: “Is animal testing a good way to test products” (Oppose)

Dear Consumer,

In the year 2025, an “scientific era”, the “future”, I think it’s time to ask “Is animal testing a good way to test products?” Every year millions of animals suffer in brutal expriements, labs and beyond this concern, animal testing is unreliable and outdated. Animal testing is cruel and unnecessary.

First off, animal testing is not always reliable to human responses. Humans might have a different reaction to the “product” than the animals will. Many drugs and products have been deemed safe for animals but later have found harmful to humans. Animal testing also causes pain, suffering, and distress to the animal being tested. Many animal go thought cruel and abusive procedures causing death or injury. With increasing animal rights, many believe that using animals to harm them is unjust.

Many companies have the power to stop testing on animals, scientists have an opportunity to uses better resources and test subjects. As consumers you can choose not to use animals tested products. Together, we could create a world where we can have business and peace. Knowing that we can stop animal testing is a big thing but startling is the hardest part. Some companies that test their products on animals are Gucci, Colgate, Old Spice, and many others.

We stand at a turning point. The question is no longer Is animal testing a good way to test products-the question is, when will we finally take a stand to this problem. The time is now..

Sincerely,

Zaylee Erolin

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Dear influencers,

"Social media is a highlight reel." I hear this quote all the time, and I personally agree 100%. Social media can be incredibly damaging to young people's mental health. Kids may compare their lives to those of influencers who have fabricated lives that seem better than they truly are.

(Evidence)

Studies have shown that social media can increase anxiety. Though social media can increase Dopamine (the feel-good chemical), it can easily be lost and lead to a heightened sense of anxiety. In addition, social media causes FOMO (fear of missing out) when comparing our own day to day lives to these influencer's highlight reels. This can trigger anxiety and make us want more social media. If you are an extremely popular and well known influencer, then please show more of your realistic life so then these young minds don't compare their life to yours.

From, Selena Labeste.

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Josiah foster - what new rules would improve your favorite sport.

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Josiah foster - what new rules would improve your favorite sport.

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Dear NBA Board of Governors,

Many sports fans, like me, like to watch the NBA but we can all agree there is too much three pointers being shot. We all want to see more dunks and posters and I have the solution. We make dunks worth 3 points and posters worth 4. Then, instead of shooting a lot of threes, they would drive inside. Imagine if a team was down 3 points with 10 seconds left and then they get a poster dunk that wins them the game. That is stuff what we all want to see, We don't want to see a lot of three pointers being shot we want dunks and posters. This will definitely solve the problem of too many threes and bring your viewers back up. -call to action.

Evidence:

USA today states that teams are shooting more three pointers this season than in NBA history and I’m not the first person to make this point. Fox Sports’ Nick Wright said that the NBA should change it rules after the Boston Celtics tied their franchise record for threes made on Opening Night.

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Should Texting While Driving Be Against The Law?

Dear Government of the U.S,

On average, 8% to 9% of driving fatalities are caused because of distracted driving. More specifically, texting. One person cannot drive safely if they're not focused on the road fully. If texting can wait until a vehicle is parked, then it's safer for you and the drivers around you.

For instance, statistics show that driving and texting cause 400 fatalities every year. Statistics have also shown that, in 2024, 1.6 million crashes were caused by drivers using their phones.

I suggest putting a law against this action. Or encourage against texting while operating a vehicle. Through this action, more lives are spared and people can feel more safe driving on the roads with their family members.

Sincerely,

Nym Stancil.