Homeless Men Sue Sheriff

The sheriff whose name is Jim Neil, had already had a problem with the numbers of homeless people who had been sleeping in front of the court house and he has been having meeting with the local homeless shelter for months trying to come up with a solution to this issue. Four homeless men on the other hand, are saying that he has violated their rights of be free from cruel and unusual punishment by being threatened to be placed in jail. Homeless people sleep in front of the courthouse every night because they feel that it is a safe public place but sheriffs say the homeless people are saying that the homeless are dirtying the public area by leave behind urine, and feces which poses as a health threat to the public. (Sharon Coolidge, The Cincinnati Enquirer Oct 2013)

I agree that these homeless people should no longer be allowed to sleep in front of the courthouse because of the potential health threat that they pose to the community. However, the homeless people should not have to go to jail. They need to find somewhere like the local homeless shelter that the sheriff has been going to. This is also a time for the community to come together to help all of these homeless people. This could mean just offering them a bottle of water. Every small thing counts. This incident is creating awareness to the community that they need to do something to get these homeless people off the street and give them somewhere to stay.

Check out this video for the full story. http://www.wcpo.com/news/local-news/greater-cincinnati-homeless-coalition-to-file-lawsuit-against-hamilton-county-sheriffs-department

 

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/10/16/homeless-sue-to-sleep-at-ohio-courthouse/2998345/

“Personhood” Oklahoma v. Barber

Of the many cases that are awaiting the consent of the Supreme Court in 2013-14, the case about abortion rights stands out to me the most. This case is called “Personhood” Oklahoma v. Barber. It askss the court to restrict access to abortion services. Activists want to add to the Oklahoma ballot, a “personhood amendment” that will define “an embryo as a human being from the moment of conception (Reuters Oct 2012).” The concept is that a fetus has the same rights as a human being outside of the womb. This is the issue that has been under discussion since the Roe v. Wade case in 1973. Should a fetus be considered a human being with rights?

I will first start by saying that i believe that under certain circumstances, a woman should be allowed to be in control of her reproductive system. In cases such as, rape or incest women should be allowed the right to abortion. I also agree that a fetus is a human being and has the same rights as a person outside the womb. However, I think that women should be granted a certain number of abortions- maybe one or two. After they  exceed that number they should be denied the right to abort. I say this because in some cases, teen pregnancy for example, the mother may not be prepared and in the right position for a child so they should be allowed to abort. Because a woman has the option of using birth controls, she should no longer be allowed to abort a child and she should have to go through with the pregnancy.

http://www.cnn.com/interactive/2012/10/politics/scotus.cases/index.html#abortion

Government Shutdown

The Obamacare also known as the health Care Reform is the Patient Protection and the Affordable Care Act that President Barack Obama signed into law in March of 2010. This was put into law to help the less fortunate and middle class be able to afford health care insurance. I believe Obamacare should be put into affect because offers benefits that include things such as annual check ups, maternity care, mental health,etc. Obamacare also puts a stop to insurance companies dropping people from their claim when they are down in health. Obamacare is a great thing put into law by President Obama but it has caused a tremendous amount of controversy in the American Government. This caused the United States of America government to shut down for the first time since the year 1996. The fact that the government shut down and caused over 800,000 people to lose their job and go without pay is absolutely absurd. The government also ruled that the thousands of people who lost their pay would not gain the pay back after the problem is resolved. It is sad that we as American citizens can not get along and cause the government to shut down because of a health care reform that will be used to help the less fortunate of our country.

 

http://nymag.com/news/politics/nationalinterest/government-shutdown-2013-10/

Viewing of Child Porn Legal in New York

In 2009, a 65 year old former professor named named James Kent convicted on numerous counts of procuring and possession after images of child pornography were found on his computer. Some of the charges were later dismissed and he was sentenced to one to three years in prison. Meanwhile, the court was deciding “whether accessing and viewing something on the Internet is the same as possessing it, and whether possessing it means you had to procure it.” They decided accessing and viewing is not the same as possessing and that in order to possess something on the internet, you have to view it. Judge Victoria A. Graffeo wrote in one of two concurring opinions, ” the purposeful viewing of child pornography on the internet is now legal in New York. The charges against the professor were dropped.

I believe that this decision of allowing the viewing of child pornography is extremely unethical. Child pornography should be illegal, period. Under no circumstance is it okay to exploit the body of innocent children. Also, allowing people to view child porn is encouraging people to continue to make more child porn. People who make child porn are breaking the law, so how is it okay to view it?

http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/05/08/11602955-viewing-child-porn-on-the-web-legal-in-new-york-state-appeals-court-finds?lite

 In the Miller vs. Alabama case in 2012, 14-year old Evan Miller was sentenced to life without the possibility of parole after he and a friend fired shots at home where they had just bought drugs. Justice Elena Kagen argued that this sentencing would be violating the 8th Amendment which prohibits cruel and unusual punishment. Cheif Justice John Roberts said that the role of the court is to apply laws and not to discuss the questions of morality and social policy that arise in discussing amendment violation. In June of 2012, The Supreme Court on Monday limited the use of life terms in prison for murderers under 18, ruling that judges must consider the defendant’s youth and the nature of the crime before putting him behind bars with no hope for parole. (David G. Savage) 

I agree with the court’s decision of considering the age of the defendant and what parts he or she played in the crime. I also believe that this should apply for those who are currently serving sentence of life without parole and were sentenced it when they were under the age of 18. They should be released and offered rehabilitation. I believe that since they were incarcerated at a young age their mind has matured and they have learned their lesson. They should be able to join the rest of society to promote change with other troubled youth. 

http://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2013/09/18/reconsidering-young-lifers-sentences

http://articles.latimes.com/2012/jun/25/news/la-pn-supreme-court-rules-juvenile-life-without-parole-cruel-and-unusual-20120625

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miller_v._Alabama#cite_note-LATimes20120625-2

Illegal Drugs

              Marijuana has been legalized in a small number of states in the United States. There has been debate over whether this drug should be legalized all across America or if it is better if it was not. I would argue that marijuana should be legalized all over the country. It can increase the nations revenue. Many families in America depend on the distribution of marijuana to help keep their family in a stable financial position. Many of them are considered criminals because they are breaking the law of distributing these drugs, but if you go to look at their criminal history they do not have one. They are not all bad people. They are simply trying to make money just like the rest of the citizens of America. Also, unlike tobacco and alcohol, marijuana comes with health benefits. It would be a lot more logical to sell a product that not only helps to increase revenue but will provide relief to people suffering with critical health issues as well. 

Current Event: Unemployment Rate Drop

August 2, 2013

The United States unemployment rate recently dropped to 7.4 percent. It had an unemployment rate of 7.6 percent. There were a number of 162,000 jobs added to labor but while the unemployment rate dropped, the number of people looking for jobs dropped as well. I think that the decrease in the number of people who are looking for jobs is only temporary. I think that more people will start looking for a job when they find out that there are more to offer.

http://hotair.com/archives/2013/08/02/july-jobs-report-162k-jobs-added-unemployment-rate-drops-to-7-4-percent/