Articles written by Kirk W. Johnson

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About me - Kirk W. Johnson

I am a middle-aged man with a wonderful wife living in Northern New Jersey. I currently am in school to become a paramedic and fancy becoming a professional writer. I have a degree in both political science and religion, so I write frequently on those topics.

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Politics, News & Issues > Constitutional & Contract Law Should city and town governments be allowed to display Christmas symbols?: 2 of 67
I would answer most definitely YES. The Christmas symbol debate has become one of the more contentious issues facing local governments. It frequently bitterly divides communities that otherwise live together throughout the rest of the year. It stems from a wider movement to "sanitize" religion out of the public sector across ... More..
Health & Fitness > Nutrition & Health Issues McDonald's Big Mac turned 40 in 2007: Time to retire this icon of unhealthy fast food?: 9 of 74
The mere wording of this question shows the question writers' bias. Nonetheless, as a purely business decision, I would say that the Big Mac should most definitely NOT be retired. It has become not only a symbol of the McDonalds corporation, and in fact, it is frequently identified with the United States itself. Few symbols a... More..
Politics, News & Issues > Terrorism Why it is important to remember the 9/11 terrorism attacks: 15 of 96
We remember because we must. Thousands of lives were snuffed out that day and we wish to honor them as we would any other significant loss of life such as a plane crash, a boat sinking, or an act of war. They were human beings who were doing nothing more than living their daily lives and they were slaughtered. The politics be... More..
Entertainment > Movie Genres Do adult TV cartoons, like the Simpsons, undermine cultural values?: 1 of 6
I have frequently argued that cultural values are determined by the individual, sort of along the lines of "Guns don't kill people, people kill people." I've argued that violent video games don't create Columbine, and thus, Family Guy and Simpsons, both cartoons that I admit to watching, don't undermine cultural values. That ... More..
Education > Colleges & Universities (Other) Making meaningful volunteer opportunities: 1 of 5
Making meaningful volunteer opportunities is as essential as making volunteer opportunities meaningful. What is the difference, you say? Well, the organization soliciting the volunteer must work to make a meaningful opportunity. That is to say, in order to maximize the number of interested volunteers, they need to show the me... More..
Society & Lifestyle > Personal Morals & Values Characteristics of an effective volunteer: 7 of 31
The characteristics of an effective volunteer are similar to those of an effective employee of any sort. The primary misconception between volunteers and their employers is the lack of pay makes them less professional and thereby less accountable. This is a trap that should be avoided.An effective volunteer must be efficient,... More..
Health & Fitness > First Aid Understanding when to call 911: 1 of 4
It is important to understand that dialing 9-1-1 is similar to taking a slice of pizza at a party. There is a limit to the number of slices available at one time and taking a slice when you're not really hungry deprives someone else of the slice they really wanted (or maybe needed). The resources dispatched by a 9-1-1 center ... More..
Religion & Spirituality > Religion & Spirituality (Other) Should one's faith influence a citizen's vote?: 91 of 307
How can a person's faith NOT influence a citizen's vote? It is first important to understand that everyone has faith in something, either God (as expressed in a variety of understandings such as Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism, etc) or oneself. This faith will form the core beliefs of the candidate and will color the t... More..
Business > Customer Management What is customer service?: 6 of 19
Customer service is what differentiates between companies that will prosper and companies that will get by. There is no business, from the local doctor's office to the multi-store national retailer, that will not rise or fall based on its customer service. The fact of the matter is, there is no product that isn't available in... More..
Business > Customer Management How to deliver great customer service: 7 of 19
There are hundreds of books written on customer service, seminars are everywhere, and consultants make good money helping businesses deliver "good customer service". When you finish reading through all of that information, it's really as basic as.....Treat others the same way you want to be treated. The most important keys ... More..