Who Will Be the Hero?

       Earlier this week, a 58 year old man named Ki-Suk Han was pushed over the ledge of a subway in New York City, seconds before he was hit by an oncoming train. The man who pushed him onto the tracks was emotionally disturbed. Many people witnessed the incident and not one person stepped up to help. This starts with the question of the day in New York: what would you do? A photo was released to the New York post which showed the man seconds before the train hit and killed him. Many would ask, if this man had enough time to take out his camera and take a picture, why didn't he reach down to save this mans life? One of the witnesses, a tourist from France said, "the guy was crawling to get up. Why couldn't somebody reach down?"

         The photographer defends his actions and explained that he was using the flash of his camera to alert the oncoming train to slow down. Still, I find it hard to believe that he thought this was the best way to stop the tragedy from happening. Maybe he decided that capturing the image would be more important that potentially saving a mans life. In 2009, a similar situation occurred at the Penn Station subway stop in New York. Chad Lindsey was able to leap onto the tracks and help a man to safety. Mr. Lindsey commented after tuesdays accident: "everything about a relationship to that track bed is out of whack... it doesn't look as deep as it is, the platform edge isn't built the way you think it is, the trains are massive and move so quickly along it, and no one knows what his leg muscles will do until they are tested." It has become a national obsession to see accidents as they occur. What many people may not realize is that actual people are being hurt and no one is stepping up to help. In fact, people believe that one stupid picture could be more significant to them than doing the right thing. If you were in the photographers position, what would you have done? Would you take the famous photo or step up and be a hero? To read more about this article visit: http://mediadecoder.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/12/05/train-wreck-the-new-york-posts-subway-cover/

Protect Your Cellphone

        This past week, a Rhode Island judge: "threw out cellphone evidence that lead to a man being charged with the murder of a six year old boy, saying the police needed a search warrant." The courts and state legislatures are trying to pass laws that will keep up with technology and protect peoples privacy. An Ohio court ruled that a warrant is necessary to search a cellphone because "unlike a piece of paper that might be stuffed inside a suspect's pocket can be confiscated during an arrest, a cellphone may hold 'large amounts of private data.'" I think that it is important that courts are requiring a warrant to look through cellphones because today there are so many ways to store confidential information in a cellular device. Therefore, looking through a cellphone is not just viewing contact, messages, calls, etc. it is also getting access to financial statements, confidential communications, and private images.

        Technology is now opening up areas that the law has never seen before in terms of privacy. Questions are being presented to legislatures and the courts that are forcing a reinterpretation of our laws. As we have discussed in class, civil liberties are an essential part of being an American. The Fourth Amendment protects unreasonable searches and seizures, along with requiring any warrant to be judicially sanctioned and supported by probable cause. Any private emails, texts, or voicemails where you have the expectation they will remain private. It is one thing if you are sending pictures or posting them online, but if they are strictly on your cell phone, you should have the right to privacy. The courts are trying to come up with ways of analyzing what they find in a cell phone. Some courts have compared it to what you may find in a suitcase, others are comparing it to as if they have overheard a conversation. To read more information on this topic visit this article: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/26/technology/legality-of-warrantless-cellphone-searches-goes-to-courts-and-legislatures.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0 

Live Strong

       As competition in the sports world in America becomes more competitive, athletes frequently turn to steroids as a way to remain at the top of their game. As more information emerges about professional football and baseball players drug use, now the accomplishments of another set of athletes is called into question. As most of you probably know, it has recently been confirmed that Lance Armstrong used performance enhancing drugs in just about every competition he has participated in. This has obviously changed many peoples views of Lance as both a world class athlete and a role model.     

      While Lance Armstrong has definitely experienced a fall from grace, one of his accomplishments remains intact. The Lance Armstrong foundation (Livestrong) has made "an unrivaled commitment to improving the lives of cancer patients in America and around the world." When Lance was diagnosed with testicular cancer, he took a very public stand on raising awareness for cancer patients. He also focused on what life was like after surviving a life threatening illness. During the course of his career, Lance and his foundation reached out to numerous patients and became a great source of information and motivation. They were encouraged to seek second opinions and to become partners with their cancer teams. In short, many people took a more active role in their treatment as a result of what they learned through the Livestrong network. This foundation has raised $500 million over the past 15 years and has provided leadership and funding that has effected patients and their families in the development of strategies to ease the lives of people dealing with cancer. Dr. Lawrence Shulman of the Dana-Farber cancer institute states that he has worked with Lance and the foundation for almost 10 years. As he states, "There is much more to Lance than his bike, and cancer patients everywhere know this in a very personal way"(3). While I was disappointed in Lances drug use as anyone else, I still recognize his positive contribution to the lives of so many people through his foundation. Does the fact that Lance has changed the lives of so many cancer patients effect the way you view him, even in the face of his athletic disgrace? To read more on this topic visit: http://www.bostonglobe.com/magazine/2012/11/03/defense-lance-armstrong/gLoFAr4aRAfOajXWxZUdoL/story.html

Revealed JFK Tapes

        50 years ago in October, our country was involved in the Cuban Missle Crisis, nearly getting into an extremely dangerous nuclear war. President Kennedy was questioning the generals and advisors about his military and diplomatic options. Many people in the oval office were pushing for military action but President Kennedy restrained from getting involved in a deadly war. Just this past week, secret tapes that were being recorded in the oval office were finally released. In a conversation between President Kennedy and a CIA analyst, Kennedy is extremely calm in how he handles the situation.
For the first time, he is seeing the overhead photographs of a missle cite in Cuba. The horror of the situation is that the nuclear relationship between the Soviet Union and the US has changed because they now have a missle base in Cuba which is just 90 miles away from Florida. This is one of the biggest threats that the United States has recieved and it is amazing to see how well President Kennedy takes on the situation. A man in the oval office said to him: "You're in a very bad fix, Mr. President" and his reply was simply: "You're in there with me". He makes it clear that this problem does not just lie in his hands. The country as a whole was going to have to handle this situation.

Be careful what you Tweet!

      After Tuesday's foreign policy debate, conservative political pundit Ann Coulter tweeted that she approved of "Romney's decision to be kind and gentle to the retard". Not only is this word extremely disrespectful to the President of the United States, but it also offends all mentally disabled kids and adults living in America. What is most amazing about this is that it is not Miss Coulters first time using the "r" word in public text during this election.
        A special olympian with down syndrome named John Franklin wrote a letter to Ann Coulter expressing his thoughts on her use of the word. Franklin said that he wants to get people like Miss Coulter to understand that using the "r" word is an insult and he sees it as a symbol of slow, shallow, and stupid. Its sad to see how much one word can effect so many people. Yet, even after the first time, it seems as though his woman has no respect for the people that she is offending.

      What I found most astonishing is that 1,215 people favorited the tweet and 2,992 people retweeted her writing. The fact that so many people are supporting this coldhearted woman is disgusting. Many Americans just do not realize the harm in the words that come out of their mouths, or in this case, cell-phones. Although there was some support of those who were hurt by this tweet. Actress Sophia Bush tweeted: "@AnnCoulter You disgust me. That man is the president of this
country. (And I'm sure all of the disabled children in America appreciate you.) Recently is class, civil liberties has become a huge part of our daily discussions. Although freedom of speech is obviously respected in America, I feel that Ann Coulter should lose at least the title of her job for using the "r" word in public not only once, but two times. To read more on this subject read this article: http://www.cnn.com/2012/10/23/living/ann-coulter-obama-tweet/index.html?hpt=us_t5

Falsely Convicted?

           On February 17, 2004, Cameron Willingham was executed in Texas for a crime that he probably did not commit. Mr. Willingham was convicted of murdering his three young daughters after they were killed in a house fire. The evidence that was used to convict Mr. Willingham was based on testimony by the Texas fire marshal, who found “clear signs of arson”, and testimony from a fellow inmate. The inmate later changed his story. The science that was used by the fire marshal to determine arson has since been called into question. Mr. Willingham’s final words were: “Please clear my name. I did not kill my children.”

          While Cameron Willingham’s family tries to clear his name, the bigger issue is preventing falsely convicted people from being put to death. The Innocence Project in New York is currently working on 26 arson cases where faulty science may have led to a conviction. People are now starting to focus on more precise arson science. The Texas Forensic Science Commission was established seven years ago to examine faulty criminal investigations. This group found that the science behind the fire marshal’s report in the Willingham case was unreliable. It is believed that the Texas Forensic Science Commission will serve as model for the rest of the country. Four other arson cases in Texas are now under review based on the new science.

          Nothing can change the outcome in the Willingham case. If his family does receive a “posthumous pardon” from the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles, it will be the first time in Texas history that an official Texas agency recognizes that an innocent person was executed. I believe that we must do everything possible to investigate all of the evidence in a case before someone is executed. Other than “burn marks” in the Willingham case, there was relatively no other evidence that pointed to arson. No chemicals were ever found. Science now indicates that the same burn marks could have come from a fast moving fire, not one that involved “accelerants”.  Even if one person is spared a death sentence based on these new reviews, it will be worth the effort.

Careless Behavior

    
        Yesterday in Wendell, Idaho, 3 workers at Bettencourt Dairies were fired after an undercover video revealed mistreatment towards cows. The footage showed workers and supervisors "violently hitting, stomping on, punching and kicking cows in the face and body". This farm has 13 milking facilities with about 60,000 cows in total and 500 employees working daily. All people who viewed this footage has described the actions of the men as inhumane and believed they deserved being charged with misdemeanor animal cruelty. Although this might be a small case of mistreatment towards animals, I believe it is happening throughout all of America in all different types of factory farms. This problem has increased over the years due to the higher need of food production and no one people are just starting to address the issue. Animal cruelty should not be tolerated in this country and I feel that the owners of these farms should keep a better watch out for the employees that tend his animals on a day-to-day basis.  (http://www.farmtina.com/2010/09/on-animal-cruelty-and-eating- myrabbits.html)>picture

     When I eat my food, I want to know that it came from a good farm that took care of its animals. Angela Wiggins, a spokeswoman at Kraft, says that: "While Kraft does not raise dairy cows or have milking operations, we want animals to receive proper care and be treated with respect. We have long believed high-quality dairy products begin with quality animal care". It is clear that people want their meat to be cared for properly, yet cruel acts are still happening among these animals. This production, along with many other in America, has become so focused on making the most possible money that many employees simply don't respect the wellbeing of these creatures. Do you think that as consumers of these American produced foods, we should become more aware of the farming process? To read more about this issue, visit: http://www.cnn.com/2012/10/10/us/idaho-dairy-animal-abuse/index.html?hpt=us_c2.

Back in Action

        A couple days ago, the original refs of the NFL returned from their protest to proceed with their jobs. While they were on strike, the NFL had to hire high school football referees to judge professional football games which ended up as mostly disastrous. A key highlight of their terrible call making was in the Green Bay Packers vs. the Seattle Seahawks when the refs miscalled an interseption by GB with a touchdown catch by Seattle. It was obvious to the crowd after the call was made that it was an interception so the Green Bay fans were completely outraged (to read more on this game visit this link: http://www.eonline.com/news/348654/monday-night-football-controversy-celebs-react-to-replacement-refs-blown-call-green-bay-packers-loss).
        As a matter of fact, most of America had been angry with the NFL for the past couple of weeks because of the unprofessional refs that have been doing a terrible job replacing the guys that can actually make the right calls at the right time. As it turns out, the NFL cannot operate properly without the help of these referees, so the league has approved a new 8 year contract. It is quiet often that we see forms of protest and strike in America as a way of getting what you believe you deserve. This is a great example in that the refs proved to the league that without them, the American people will not be satisfied, and       therefore they deserve a more rewarding contract.      ^^ http://www.theonion.com/articles/the-looming-nfl-referee-strike,28470/. Do you think the original referees did the right thing by protesting? Or was it just an obnoxious way of getting what they wanted? Feel free to comment below.

Still No School

        For the past week, students in public schools in Chicago have been out of school due to the skrite that the teachers are holding. While many families throughout the city were expecting and hoping that school would be back in session by this Tuesday, a Cook County judge holds off on ending the strike. The judge decided to schedule a court hearing on Wednesday morning instead of immediately hearing arguments from Chicago school officials today. Many school officials are concerned about the strike and are calling this dispute illegal and dangerous.
          Tomorrow will be the 6th day of school that these children have missed throughout the past week. Not only is this delaying the learning schedule, but these children are being denied a safe environment to attend on day to day basis that also provides food throughout the day. In addition, the parents of these children have had to either take off work or hire people to look over  their children while they are gone. Not only is this unacceptable for the parents to be forced to do this, but it is also taking money out of their wallets for something that is beyond their control.
          Last Friday, both sides reached a somewhat agreement, although the teachers union stated that in order to end this strike, it would require the House of Delegates' approval. In my opinion, this dispute has gone on long enough and these children should be back in school receiving the education that the Chicago public schools should be offering. What do you think should be done about the strike, and when do you think it is going to be resolved? To read more about this read the article:

http://www.cnn.com/2012/09/17/us/illinois-chicago-teachers-strike/index.html?hpt=us_c1

Clinton Nominates Obama

     On September 5th, 2012, former President Bill Clinton spoke at the Democratic National Convention. His job was to nominate President Barack Obama as the Democratic candidate for President of the United States. After watching both the Republican convention and the Democratic convention, Clinton's speech was easily the most interesting and motivational. After he entered the stadium and took the stage, it only took a couple of words for him to rile up the crown and connect to all of the people who were watching the convention.
     What struck me most about President Clinton's speech was his confidence, credibility, and the simplicity of what he said. Clinton stressed several themes that he believes will make our country a better place with Barack Obama as President. Within the first five minutes of Clinton's speech, he discussed: cooperation, education, and the growth of American industry. He also stated that "we are all in it together, is better than you are on your own". I also believe that this approach creates real opportunity and will put this country in the right direction. Clinton explained that there is no quick solution to our economic problems and that Obama's policies will take time, given the depth of the issues that he faced when he became president.
      To see Bill Clinton, a very successful former president speak on behalf on President Obama made his endorsement that much more powerful and impressive. During Clintons term, he was able to turn an economic deficit into a surplus. He stressed in very simple terms that all it took was "arithmetic". Anyone can understand that simple math equals success rather than explaining complicated policies. To view some of Clinton's speech, watch the video below (referenced highlights are located within the first 5 mins).

Remembering 9-11

          11 years ago, on September 11th, 2001, I was only 5 years old and had just started kindergarten at South School in Glencoe. As I got ready for school that day, I remember watching the news with my family as we ate our breakfast. The planes had just hit the world trade center and I watched my parents react in shock to what they were seeing unfold on the television. My father's family lives in Manhattan, and my uncle worked on Wall Street at the time. Knowing that our relatives lives could be in danger added a more personal dimension to this national disaster. My parents started making phone calls trying to reach our family. No one could find my uncle for most of the morning. Fortunately, he managed to get out of the area safely. While I didn't understand the full impact of what had happened at the time, 9/11 has affected my life in a way that no one had experienced since the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941. My parents had grown up in a time where they believed that our country was safe from attack. Even my grandparents were children in 1941, and Hawaii was not New York City.
     Earlier this week, I watched a clip of Laura Bush on the Smithsonian Network, regarding what happened to her on 9/11. As a former teacher and librarian, Mrs. Bush's thoughts were about the families and the children who were also seeing the horror of the towers collapsing. Indirectly, her concerns were for children like myself all over the country. She told the American people to turn off their tv's while their kids were in the room. Small children would see the footage and believe that the attacks on America were still in progress. Watching this video made me realize how much my thoughts about this country were shaped by that day. My parents view of America was that we were a strong superpower that was not vulnerable to attack. The US of their childhood was always on the offense. I, on the other hand, have grown up with the perspective that we are searched in airports. Personal freedom is not an absolute when it comes to "national security". As the anniversary of 9/11 approaches, my thoughts on America remain strong knowing that the values we represent enable us move forward and learn from this experience.

To view the clip of Laura Bush discussing her thoughts during 9-11, click on this video: