Gun Control after Sandy Hook

Lawmakers prepared to tackle gun control
Gun Control Laws Around The World

Synopsis: "To me and to others, this one feels different," said Jon Vernick, co-director of the Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Policy and Research. After this terrible tragedy in Connecticut, lawmakers are considering reinstating gun laws to ban the selling of assault weapons and regulating the selling of high power magazine weapons. Even Democrats notoriously known to be pro-gun are changing their minds on the matter. A reader on CNN commented: "You can make as many laws as you want it will NOT change people who want to hurt others. We all need to arm our self now. That is the only way" which is the opposite argument.

Analysis: Before you go thinking I'm unsympathetic for these children victims, I'm not. I just like to think on the rational side of things. First and foremost, the U.S. has the highest civilian gun ownership rate in the world, with 89 guns per 100 people. Also, in states that do have the death penalty, their murder rates are the highest in the country. If someone wants to kill, they will do it, REGARDLESS of the laws put in place. If they ban assault weapons, these murders are still going to find them and use them. I want to live in a peaceful world, free of evil but humans are NOT good, humans are inheritably bad. What we need to do is create gun control for all citizens, make sure everyone is armed once they are fully responsible for their own life( at 18 lets say). You can't stop crazy lunatics from hitting the streets, but you can change the way their intended targets react. 

Aussie Radio Scandal

Aussie DJ Scandal: Does radio share the blame?
DJs cry over nurses death

Synopsis: Australian DJs pranked nurse Jacintha Saldanha into thinking that they were Queen Elizabeth and Prince Charles, and she killed her self when she found out that it wasn't him. The articles in question go into the morality of radio personalities and what should or should not be put on air. Are the DJs directly responsible for this womans death or were they simply trying to gain listeners and an easy laugh?


Analysis: First and foremost, I grew up in the radio world. I can tell you almost anything that goes into it like the back of my hand. This issue is very personal to me because what if it was my own mother who was on the other end of this prank? Granted she never joked around about serious matters, and we have FCC laws in place here in the United States..but it would still be deterimental to her mental health. Look at that photo of DJ Mel Greig above. She's crying her freaking eyes out! She didn't know that Jacintha was going to kill her self, who would have guessed that? I don't think they are to blame for this womans death, and when I found out their radio show had been canceled and the DJs had been suspended, I was outraged. Suicide is NOTHING to take lightly, but two wrongs do not make a right. Clearly Australia needs some more policies, and the radio world needs to take into context the things they say on AND off air. I don't believe that this woman killed her self over just the prank, i'm sure their were other reasons. In any case, the situation sucks and we all have something to learn here.

Legalization of Marijuana

Pot Smokers enter legal limbo in Washington

Synopsis: As midnight hit this morning, marijuana was legal in Seattle. Smoking in public was still considered illegal, but police turned the other way. The article goes on to talk about how the selling and distributing of marijuana will not be enstated for another year, so King County Prosecutor Dan Satterberg  made a joke about how if you stumble across some on the street or it falls from the sky, then you can have it. Otherwise, you are part of a criminal chain of distribution. No longer will the smell of marijuana emanating from a vehicle lead to a search unless the officer has "information that you're trafficking, producing or delivering marijuana in violation of state law". Marijuana is only legal to residents 21 and older.

Analysis: I think the legalization of Marijuana shows to people how liberal of a country we are becoming. The youth is speaking out, and we are making our voices heard. The amount of money that could be obtained from the legalization of marijuana all over the country is huge. If anything it would help us get out of debt, instead of spending money importing marijuana from mexico. We would help stop the drug lords, there would be less violence, less money spent on prisoners in for drug charges and many more chill people. A lot of people in the United States are under the influence of Marijuana on a daily basis, and I think one day they may lower the age to 18 but it should be taken into consideration that there needs to be regulation so that people don't take advantage of the new laws.