Share: A year ago, California voters passed Proposition 47, an initiative that re-classified certain low-level, non-violent felonies such as drug possession, petty theft, shoplifting, forging or writing bad checks, and stolen property, as misdemeanors. Now, police and prosecutors are linking increases in crime to the proposition. While it is true that there has been an increase in crime, it does not necessarily mean that the proposition is the cause of it. Proposition 47 has a lot of good points and they simply cannot be ignored. …
Doing the crime but not the time
Share: Imagine a world where crimes like child abuse and armed robbery are like a simple slap on the wrist. With Proposition 47 now a state law, that is California’s new reality. Titled “Criminal Sentences. Misdemeanor Penalties. Initiative Statute.,” Proposition 47 reduces the penalty for certain crimes from felonies to misdemeanors. It was enacted in hopes of increasing public safety as resources tied to minor misconducts would be freed up, allowing more resources to be allocated towards more dangerous crimes as well as to cut …
“Homeland” isn’t racist, it has Muslim friends
Share: “Homeland” is no stranger to controversy. While the show has had multiple Emmy and Golden Globe wins and has been hailed by critics, the show has experienced its fair share of criticism. Follow:
Critics claim “illegals” to out vote citizens with AB 1461
Share: Critics of the “New Motor Voter Act” argue that automatically registering people to vote when they obtain or renew their driver’s license will increase potential voter fraud by enabling illegal immigrants to vote. Follow:
The love of the game
Share: Over 1.6 million athletes play football each year and 12 died from brain related injuries in 2014. Do these statistics mean that football should be banned? No, it should not. Football is a way to bring the community together rather the team winning or losing. Follow:
Shooting down media critics
Share: When learning anything, the simplest way to begin is to copy others. Follow:
Blatantly racist: challenging peremptory challenges
Share: Racism will always exist. It will continue to exist so long as humans live as it is natural to differentiate and stereotype. Not all stereotypes are harmful, and not all forms of racism are excessively harmful, but this is not the case in the 1987 trial of Timothy Foster. Foster was tried for the murder of Queen Madge White, a white 79-year-old woman, and was sentenced to death by the jury. However, what is under scrutiny isn’t Foster’s crime—he confessed—but the all-white jury that …
Football: Enough is enough
Share: Football has emerged as one of the most popular sports in America. And for many sports lovers, the love for a sport is developed by not only playing the game itself but by also watching the pros. We marvel at their skill level and ability to play against the world’s elite. Follow:
Mass shooters must be identified
Share: To name or not to name—this is the dilemma that has sent people into a frenzy in the days since the cold-blooded mass shooting at Umpqua Community College on Oct. 1. Since the crime’s lead investigator John Hanlin publicly announced his refusal to speak of the gunman’s name and urged the media to do the same, the thin fabric that is the media-audience relationship has not been the same. “Let me be very clear: I will not name the shooter,” Hanlin announced at a …
Too lazy to register, you’re not alone
Share: Voter apathy has been at an all-time high for years. To be frank, nobody feels as if their votes actually matter. Follow: