Near School Tragedy

This article reports on a recent school shooting that happened in Seattle. The gunman was a 16-year old student at Washington State high school. Last week the suspect started shooting inside the school before being stopped by one of the teachers at the school. The suspect began attending the high school about a month ago and seemed to be adjusting well and making friends. In fact one of his new friends spoke out and said that she started receiving strange text from him shortly before the incident, such as  “It does not matter anyway after tonight” and “I decided I need to go, it’s my time.” The suspect only fired two shots before he was tackled down by an Advanced Placement Government teacher. Brady Olson was the teacher that tackled him and when he was asked about it he said, he did what any United States teacher would do and that was to run toward the gunfire and not away from it. The shooter entered into the cafeteria and when the students saw him with the gun they all ran out the back door. Before he could shoot off another round he was tackled down by Mr. Olson. Many students were not surprised by the actions of the teacher.

The event relates to the government because it occurs in a public building and the suspect is now under investigations and may be facing charges for what he did. This shows that the law applies to everyone no matter their age. It also shows that suspect must undergo procedure and that investigations must be conducted. The due process which is granted by the fifth amendment applies to everyone and that the law does not exclude anyone.

As a high school student myself this incident is an awful scenery to picture. For a student who shows no signs of any problems to show up to school and attempt to take the lives of innocent students is frightening. I am glad that the gunmen did not kill anyone and also the Mr. Olson, the teacher that tackled did what he did. If I wasn’t for him the end results might have been differently. I hope that if anything ever happened in school that I would have a teacher like Mr. Olson that would put the students safety first.   

https://news.yahoo.com/police-no-one-hurt-shooting-washington-high-school-151709888.html

"Trill Kill"

In this CNN article a recent killing of a college baseball player in Oklahoma. Three teenage boys are now facing murder charges for the crime. One of the teenagers was recently convicted of the crime and when asked what his reason was for killing the college student he said that he and his friends were simply bored and had nothing to do. Chancy Allen Luna was convicted of first degree murder and the jury has recommended that he received a life sentence. The victim of the drive by shooting was Christopher Lane who was 23 years old.  He was shot and killed by the teenagers  while he was on a jog. The driver of the vehicle, Micheal Jones has been charged with second degree murder and sentenced to life in prison with eligibility to parole starting in 2051. The third suspect who was 15 at the time of the crime is facing lesser charges because he agreed to testify against the Luna and Jones.

This article relates to AP Government because it shows different laws and procedures in each state and how the courts work. With the third suspect his situation also shows that suspects can make a deal with the system in order to help them and in return receive a lesser sentence.

My opinion on the issue discussed in this article is that the act was cruel and heartless. To take an innocent person’s life simply because you were bored is just brutal. If you don’t have anything to do then join a club or play a game being bored is not an excuse to take someone’s life. If I could ask them one question them it would be, what did you expect was going to happen and did you think of the consequences? In my opinion justice is being served right now for the innocent man that lost his life at the hands of some destructive teenagers.

http://www.cnn.com/2015/04/18/us/thrill-kill-teen-convicted/index.html

Police Distrust Increase

In this article the topic of race is talked about when it comes to police traffic stops in Wilmington, NC. The article uses a recent traffic study from professors at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill. The results for the amount of traffic stops of drivers based on race is alarming with black drivers being two times more likely to be searched during a traffic stop than whites in Wilmington. Out of the 20 North Carolina cities used in the study Wilmington, NC ranked 2nd. The researchers have said that the purpose of this study is to call attention to the difference and to hopefully these statistics will start a change in the community. The Wilmington police department released a statement after the results of this study were released and said that the amount of traffic stops over the years have been decreasing. But although the amount is decreasing the amount of African American’s that are searched have been increasing over the years.

The results in this article seem to be shocking because I would not imagine such high numbers for the city that I reside in. In the midst of several police incidents with African Americans that have lead to injuries and deaths these statistics seem to increase police relations with citizens. As the enforcers of the law, I believe that the law has been misused and broken by several police officers who have taken advantage of the power that they are given. Police distrust has formed because those who are suppose to be protecting us are now the ones in the news for violating laws the are suppose to protect. The police distrust is increasing day by day as more incidents occur that give reason as to why citizens shouldn't trust police. This needs to stop because it is affecting so many innocent lives, and has increased government, mainly police distrust.

This relates to government because the issue of police relations with citizens continues to decline. The police department, which is a part of the enforcers of the law are on the opposite sides of the law now breaking the laws. People around the United States are now exercising their first amendment rights by speaking up for the what is currently happening in our country.  

http://www.wect.com/story/28798955/traffic-study-blacks-two-times-more-likely-to-get-searched-by-police-during-stops-in-wilmington

Kenya Massacre

This article discusses the events that have unfolded after the recent Kenyan University shooting incident. Last week a university in Kenya was unexpectedly invaded by al-Shabab, this attack has left more than 147 people dead. An eye witness has said that the members of the group asked students if they were Christians and if they answered yes then they were shot to death on the spot. The attack that happened early in the morning has left students of the university devastated, many students are yet to even be accounted for. Mohammed Mohamud has been identified as the leader of this attack, the government has posted a  $220,000 bounty for him.  After the incident Kenya’s president, Uhuru Kenyatta released a statement vowing to fight against the group. With the supporting article, it shows he has plans in order to fight against this group.   

In this article it discusses the tragic events that have recently unfolded in Kenya, which is a country in Africa. I believe that it is important to know about current events and issues from all around the world instead of just focusing on your own town’s news. Hearing and reading about this recent massacre has truly been devastating, to know that college students were simply killed because of their religion. This recent event in the country has outraged the government and they are working to prevent an event such as this from happening again. In the United States we have the freedom believe and worship who we choice and not be punished for it. While in many other countries people are being punished and killed simply because they don’t have the same beliefs as others. This event relates to the different structures of government and the difference in the rights of the people. It also shows the structural and systematic difference between the Kenyan government and the United States government.     

To hear about this issue was horrifying and I believe that it shouldn’t have happened. It was a violation of human rights, a person should have right to believe in whatever they want to. To take 147 innocent lives simply because they share your beliefs to me is just wrong period.

http://www.foxnews.com/world/2015/04/02/garissa-attack-kenya/

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-32194722

After 22 years on Death Row, case dropped

This article discusses the issue of wrongful conviction or even the issue of not having enough evidence in order to support your case in court. In this trial a women, Debra Milke, was sentenced to death row many years ago for murder. She was found guilty of plotting with two other to kill her own son for an insurance payout. After many years of maintaining her innocence and fighting to change  the decision, she received her long awaited trial last week. After the retrial the judge found her innocent and dropped all charges against her. This decision from the judge made her the second woman who has been cleared from death row in the history of the United States of America. After several years of fighting back at the decision she has finally received the appeal that she wanted.Over the years the prosecutors have said that at one point or another in the interrogation room the suspect, Debra Milke confessed to the murder. The suspect has since stated that she has never confessed to being behind the murder. Neither can be proved because according to the prosecutors the interrogation where she “confessed” was not recorded. That made this part of the case a he said, she said argument over the answer to the question, did Debra Milke ever confess to being involved in the killing of her son?

This article relates to the course because it shows the processes and procedures in a trial. In the article it displays the importance of evidence in a case, if there were more evidence on Debra Milke and also if her “confession would have been reported then maybe the judge might not have dropped all the charges against. This article also points out the pros and cons of the United States court system, one of the cons are that it could find the wrong person guilty, in that case the wrong person must serve time for actions that they didn't commit. A pro about the court system is that it brings justice.

My opinion of this article is that  there was just not enough evidence in the beginning of the case in order to sentence her to the death row. He said and she said stories are not the type of stories that are meant for court, I believe that a judge’s should be based on the facts and evidence, which in this case there was little of. I am glad that she truly over that years maintained her innocence and continued to fight back with the faith to one day change the decision.

http://www.cnn.com/2015/03/24/justice/arizona-debra-milke-death-sentence/index.html

 

"India's Girl" Film Banned

This article mainly discusses the issue of raping in the country of India. Recently a documentary was made about one specific rape case that happened in India.The bizarre incident happened in 2012 when Jyoti Singh, a young medical student was brutally gang raped and murdered. The story soon after the incident became headline news and began to attract the attention of the world. The crime brought attention to the issue of rape in the country and has helped to start a change. Jyoti Singh’s story seemed to also attract the attention a British filmmaker named Leslee Udwin who wanted to join the fight to bring an end to the violence in India. India’s Daughter the title of the documentary tells the story of 23 year old, Jyoti Singh and how she was gang raped and assaulted by six men on a bus. After assaulting both Jyoti Singh and her friend the men left her by the roadside and after nearly two weeks Jyoti Singh passed away at a hospital in Singapore. The documentary includes interviews with one of the six men that raped and assaulted Jyoti Singh but the one person whose interview was not included was the friend that she was with, he was given the opportunity to but declined unless he was paid which the director refused to do. During the interview with one of the men responsible for her death he continues to place the blame of the attack on Jyoti Singh. The government since the release of the movie have banned it for several reasons, one of those being that they believe that the movie encourages violence against women. The six men that were involved in the incident have all been convicted since, four of them on death row, another one was committed to death but committed suicide in prison and the last person was a minor and therefore was only given a three year sentence.

This article or topic can relate to government because it shows how the justice systems in other countries work. Although the six men in this case were found and charged, that is not always the case because in fact most of these aren’t even reported. In the United States the consequences for this issue might have been handled differently because America has a different way of handling issues than India.

Since this incident was first reported in 2012 I have been following the story because of how bizarre it was and also because I wanted to see justice and change being brought for the victims of these crimes. No one deserves to be raped and brutally assaulted but in my opinion if they are then they should be able to contact someone for help and in order to get justice. Banning the documentary in the country is also something that I disagree with I believe that this movie would bring knowledge to it’s viewers on the issues in India and could help push change in the country. I believe that if the government truly wants change then they should show the movie and the rawness and reality of violence against women in the country. More needs to be done to put an end to this issue and hopefully this movie ignites that change .         

http://news.yahoo.com/india-s-daughter-documentary-about-2012-delhi-gang-rape-and-murder-204806009.html

University of Oklahoma Fraternity's Racist Chant

This article discusses a recent incident that occurred at the University of Oklahoma. A group of students from the fraternity Sigma Alpha Epsilon were involved in a racist chant on a bus. Although the video is only nine seconds long it has received plenty of backlash and has created many different conversations. In the video it is seen that several students lead the chant as the members chant about how there will never be a black Sigma Alpha Epsilon member and they also discuss lynching of African-Americans. As soon as the video was anonymously sent to the university’s newspaper. Immediately after receiving the video the school newspaper publicized it, and when the school viewed the video they decided to shut down the fraternity chapter. The president of the university, David Boren has since made a statement saying that racism is not tolerated on campus and that the school is finished with the fraternity and will be closing the chapter. The fraternity’s national president, Brad Cohen  has also released a statement which says that he is disappointed and disgusted by the outright racism showed in the video. Upon further research it has been found that this might not be the only incident at a university that involves this fraternity. There have been several other incidents over the years similar to this. This video has started a chain of outrage as to the act displayed, because of this video a football recruit to the university has decided to de-commit from the school. So far only Parker Rice who is said to be the leader of the chant has been expelled from the university, he is one of the two people that have been expelled since the video surfaced.

In this article it discusses the rules and decisions that are left to the school. Also in the article it is says that if the university had not responded to the incident then the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division would have had to step in because the incident violated Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. According to the Justice Department it "prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, and national origin in programs and activities receiving federal financial assistance", which this video seems to go against. This seems to show how we as citizens and groups such as this have a voice and can have an impact on issues in our country with the help of the law.

In my opinion incidents like this should not be handled lightly and I am glad that this issue has been handled seriously. The way this issue has been handled has really sent a strong message to the public about acts such as this. Reading this article and watching the video caused me to think, why? Why did they believe that the chant was appropriate? And another question that I would want to ask them is, do you think that it was worth? It is a shame that people continue to judge by the color of a person’s skin and not by the content of their character. This incident has taught me that America is not finished growing and that Martin Luther King Jr.’s dream has yet to be accomplished.         

http://www.cnn.com/2015/03/10/us/oklahoma-racist-chant/index.html