Share: Among the many wars that America has been involved in over the years, the war on drugs has perhaps had the largest and most negative effect on civilian lives to date. Rather than protecting people from the dangers of life-threatening drugs, the continuation of criminalizing virtually harmless recreational drugs has only increased incarceration rates and ruined the lives of casual, nonviolent users. Follow:
Editorial: Advisers inspire JACC wins
Share: This past weekend the Courier staff attended the Journalism Association of Community Colleges State Conference in Burbank where we not only attended panels and workshops but also competed in State Publication contests and On-the-Spot contests. We did extremely well individually and as a whole, winning a total of 19 awards including the Pacesetter Award, which is given to the top four student publications in the state. Follow:
Snyder contaminates office of governor in Flint
Share: The declaration of independence, which lays out a thoroughly detailed list of inalienable rights endowed upon all people also includes a short-list: life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. If any of these three are to be violated, obstructed or denied the people have the right to alter or abolish their government. Such is the case in Flint, Michigan. Follow:
Obama flips the bird to big oil
Share: News of President Obama’s expected reversal of his previous decision to allow drilling off the southeast Atlantic coast angered coastal communities from Virginia to Georgia, according to the New York Times, but the change comes at a time when addressing climate couldn’t be more important. Follow:
Pro/Con: Is Apple right to fight the FBI?
Share: Apple CEO Tim Cook has refused to comply with a court order to create a backdoor into the iOS software in order to unlock the iphone of the accused San Bernardino shooters. Should Apple be forced to comply with the court order? Follow:
Scalia has left the building and a vacant seat
Share: The recent death of Supreme Court justice Antonin Scalia has left a vacancy in our nation’s highest court, leaving President Barack Obama with the task of filling the position with a solid, qualified, and forward-thinking nominee, facing likely opposition at every turn. Follow:
Paying college athletes is preposterous
Share: With March Madness just around the corner, the debate on whether or not college athletes should be paid is heating up. And while collegiate sports bring in large sums of money every year, college athletes should in no way receive a salary. Follow:
Bail on boycotting Beyoncé
Share: (Bigotes de Gato CC photo credit link) During Super Bowl weekend, 20-time Grammy award winner Beyoncé dropped her new music video for “Formation.” In her video, Beyoncé used scenes from Hurricane Katrina, and a spray-painted message saying “Stop Killing Us.” At the Super Bowl halftime show, she performed her new single along with dancers dressed up as Black Panthers. Follow:
U.S. should join the rest of the West
Share: In 2008, Democrats nominated the then-Senator Barack Obama as their presidential candidate for the election on the campaign promise of universal healthcare. He would later go on to be elected president, carrying the message that the time for Medicare for all was now. Follow:
Conflicts of interest inhibit transparency in grand jury cases
Share: If a grand jury can “indict a ham sandwich,” why is it so rare in cases concerning police using deadly force that the grand jury believes there is “probable cause” to bring an officer to trial for a crime? The Washington Post reported that “only 11 of the 65 officers charged in fatal shootings over the past decade were convicted.” As reported by the New York Times and as surprise to many, a grand jury in Georgia indicted Officer Robert Olsen of the DeKalb County …