Of course global warming isn't a figment of our imagination. And your own experiences are no proof that it is. Now, the extent to which global warming has affected are planet is another question. I'm not here to pick one side or another about how serious climate change or global warming is. I hope I can offer a new perspective on this debate.

Whether or not global warming is as serious a threat as some people say it is, or whether it doesn't exist at all, or to what extent it affects us-- all of this is immaterial. The fact is that we as humans have a responsibility for the planet we inhabit. It's no controversy whether or not we're taking good care of it: some of us are some of us are not. But it's a fact that we all could do more to clean up the earth. So instead of discussing whether global warming exists or not, I believe our efforts should be focused on cleaning up what we know for a fact, based on empirical evidence, does exist: that pollution, climate change, deforestation, etc. are real and pose a threat to our great home, Earth. The real solution arises when we acknowledge these problems and work together to solve them.

I would highly recommend reading this article. It's quite pertinent to the subject at hand and offers insightful commentary on the effects of social media. I find that facebook and sites of the same sort are inimical to one's social life and self-identity. See, before facebook, people worried less about their own appearance. Keyword: less. I know that before facebook some people were obsessed with their own image. This will always be the case, with or without facebook. But now that facebook has come along, the way people view themselves changes. When someone has a facebook account, there is an indefinite connection to that site and your own profile, so long as the account stands. Anyone could be looking at your wall or your photos or your friends at any time. And facebook users know this. That's why real socialites or avid facebook users obsess over having their profile seem constantly refreshing. They can never avoid possible scrutiny, so they are worried about their outward appearance all the time. How does my profile look? Is it getting stagnant? etc.

Soon, those excessive facebook users think about themselves differently. They do not see themselves as who they truely are, but as others see them. Their profile shapes who they are, because it shapes how people see them.

And so, yes, I think facebook is a debilitating website in many aspects. The article I posted does a much better job at conveying this, and I have not done it justice.

Before concluding I would like to add a qualifier. I believe facebook is pernicious because it lends itself to obsessive behavior. I think facebook has been wonderfully helpful in places such as the Arab Spring. Facebook can be used for good. But, for the majority of the time, it isn't. It's dangerous in more ways than you might think.

While you may be right to assert that "guns don't kill people, people kill people," it is pure sophistry to assume that therefore people should carry guns. People do in fact kill people, and they do it a lot easier with the help of guns.

The data is irrefutable. Countries that ban guns or implement stricter laws concerning firearms have lower crime rates.