BR 5-9-13

I think they need to understand that the movie is just based on the spreading of Oxycontin epidemic and that they used that town, because it is an unlikely spot for distribution of drugs. He uses a small, residential town, because we never expect these things to happen in places like Appalachia and it makes a larger impact when it's not set in a large urban city, like many movies that have been based in places like New York.

BR 5-7-13

I think that it is impossible to really say who was right in this situation unless I know what was actually said, however, as a student who hadn't even attended the speech, she should have kept her mouth shut about what the speaker said. Also, I think she was trying to look for reasons to sue the principal, because she was offended by his comment. You cannot sue everyone just because you disagree with what they did. Also, I think you need to understand the context and not just assume somebody was threatening you, just because you are bad at English.

Civics Assignment Top Events

1.)  9/11 hijacking by Al Quaeda affected my life along with many others greatly when I , at such a young age, had to have the words "terroristic attack" explained to me. My school (Milanesi) did not explain the events of that day until after we had gone home and talked to our parents. The event that occured was so close to home (in New Jersey) that they didn't want to frighten us or tell us something our parents didn't want us to know. I remember how big of an impact that made on our country and the impact it still leaves in our airports and stereotypes still today.

2.)  Hurricane Isabel was a very significant time in my life, because it was the first natural disaster that I can possibly remember. I remember they were so scared, because we lived right near the shore and my 3rd grade teacher had to explain how dangerous it was while also giving us a science lesson. We discussed how it could effect us and possibly the school, and how a class 5 hurricane seemed to be so terrible, but it barely hit South Jersey.

3.)  Patriots Won  the SuperBowl: Although this isn't an actual historic event, I remember 2004 was the first superbowl I had ever watched and I was rooting for the Eagles (that was probably my first mistake). Because Philadelphia was the closest team to South Jersey, I had been partial to them, even though I never understood the game. I was in 3rd grade, I believe... or fourth... and we had a superbowl party with wings and pizza and I remember the excitement and all the yelling. This was quite an influential point in my life, because I also learned how to make green cake.

4.)  Presidential Election in 2004: A lot of significant events of my life occured in 2004, but this one was one of the reasons I became so interested in learning about our presidents although it is quite hard to keep up. In my class we held a fake election and our teacher taught us about the electoral college and all the decisions put into deciding a president. I also remember learning how important it was to choose a good, competent leader to be the face of our Nation.

5.) Sago Mine Disaster in 2006: I remember moving here in August of 2006 and hearing about the coal mining disaster just about 45 minutes away from where I had moved in just about 8 months before. I didn't quite understand the impact it had on the schools and the people until I had realized how many people lost their parents and family members in that mine. This disaster helped me grasp what coal mining was and how dangerous it could be. I never appreciated the hard work of the blue collar workers until I moved to West Virginia.

6.)

BR 5-6-13

The boy should be buried in his own country, because he obviously didn't care about this country enough to NOT bomb it! I think it is the groundskeepers choice, because it is technically "private" land and they have the right to refuse him. If he wants to blow up our grounds, he sure as heck shouldn't be buried under it.

BR and Assignment 5-2-13

Yes I believe they should be charged with "obstruction of justice, because they destroyed evidence that could be used in a police matter."

That quote fits nicely, because I believe that many could prevent serious events like this by just letting an official know what may or may not happen... even if they don't truly believe it. I don't believe that the friends could have prevented this, because conversations can happen with any of my friends that don't seem suspicious at first. However, I feel like throwing out evidence was definitely obstruction of justice.

I am not sure they could have prevented these events, especially if they didn't think he was being serious.

I completely believe inaction is a crime!

BR 4-29-13

I read about this over the weekend and that's nuts! It honestly surprises me that a white and black never attended the dance together as a date. I think its dumb to even raise the money for two proms, because that's extremely expensive in the first place. In the 21st century you would think we wouldve had an integrated prom in GA.

BR 4-25-13

I think its ridiculous that they think strapless dresses are distracting to young boys; its the halter dresses that push up their boobs is the problem. Also, it's not like the boys are doing school work during the dance, so they're allowed to be distracted. Dresses are made to make women look beautiful and feel beautiful; it's seriously not a big deal to have your shoulders out, and its extremely hard to find dresses with straps that are cute. If the little boys can't concentrate, because women are wearing their shoulders out are going to have a serious problem.

Civics Assignment 4-17-13

1. The consequences are harsh for people who commit acts of terrorism, and can result in life in jail, death penalty and high security prisons. I believe the difference between a citizen and a non-citizen committing these acts are that a non-citizen is not required or promised due-process. Which means the penalty comes much quicker and can be much harsher. However, there are still rights reserved to those without citizen-ship and we cannot commit any cruel or unusual acts upon them.

2.  http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/04/16/17776320-adorable-boy-8-mourned-after-boston-marathon-blasts?lite

http://www.wcvb.com/news/local/metro/3-killed-dozens-injured-in-blasts-near-Boston-Marathon-finish-line/-/11971628/19757044/-/goylsfz/-/index.html

http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/2013/04/15/three-killed-more-than-injured-marathon-blast/qVYzbQNA4ZBmrpLFXklkzH/story.html

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-22190353

Information that coordinates:

The dates, times, places, and amount of people running in the race all coordinates. In addition to this information, all the sites state that it was Boston's 117th marathon; which is the oldest and most prestigious race.

Information that is different:

In all four sites, it does not coordinate the amount of deaths; some say that more than three died, some say that 2 died and some say that exactly three died. Some of the sites state more than 100 people were injured, however a couple of sites stated that less than 100 and more than 130 people have been injured. Also, different people are being blamed for this tragedy on all the sights. A few mentioned the guy on the roof and others talk about someone putting the pressure cookers in the trash cans.

BR 4-18-13

1. I think its extremely dumb to make it that available to people, however I don't think it should be illegal.

2. I will never give my zip code again. Even though I doubt they care that much about me to do that research, I feel like it is an invasion of privacy.

3. I don't feel like we should make decisions after tragedies and in spite of those tragedies, but out of facts and that is not what is happening in Manchin-Toomey's bill. These decisions are not being developed from fact but from feelings and that is the reason they are (literally) being shot down by the Senate. Manchin is going to have a hard time fighting for his spot when we vote for our next Senator.

BR 4-16-13

I think it is going to be hard to defend our country from others when we are blowing ourselves up. Also, even though I have no idea if this kid really did do it, I think we shouldn't racially profile. He may just be here for schooling! We searched his apartment, because we saw him running away from the explosion like a normal person. I think the person who was carrying two bookbags should have been checked.

BR 4-15-13

That is absolutely ridiculous! If it is passed that one is not allowed to BEAR arms outside of the home to protect oneself then we might as well right a sign on all the young women stating "rape me, I have nothing of which to protect myself" and telling all muggers that they can steal my grandmothers' purse. I would love for one official to make a decent statement about why it is wrong to be able to protect yourself, and then I will finish my rant about how DUMB gun control is. Let's bring D.C into this argument- not allowed to carry a weapon at all- highest gun violence rate. Let's think about how effective that legislation was.. oh that's right, It WASN'T!

BR 4-12-13

All this says is that a man bought a gun before he was cleared in the system and that was illegal. This is why harder background checks are not going to make a differnce while purchasing a gun.

Political Cartoons

1. This specific political cartoon is about how Margaret Thatcher was a very assertive leader and it seemed like she had plans to destroy the whole Soviet Union. She lead them against communism and was a very successful woman, however she was known as the Iron Lady, because she was strong. She was also disliked by many because of her creation of the decline of British Industry. i would grade this as a c, because its point was effective, but it was not as creative as it could have been.

2. This image is supposed to represent that the  next prime minister had very large shoes to fill after such an assertive and well-known woman who lead the country out of many problems. She changed their whole idea of a union and the next leader may not have been able to accomplish as much. I would grade this as a b, because it used a great symbol for the idea that she had very large shoes to fill.

3. This political cartoon is about how neither party can usually agree on something, but both parties agree that Obama's budget plan is irresponsible and they vote no. It shows Obama's disappointment and aggravation and he is trying to realize the good in both parties voting together. I love this cartoon and I believe it should receive an a, because it represents how we can never agree in the parties, but both agree that Obama's plan is a bad idea.

4. This image shows a man telling about his blues for our country. It's overly-exaggerated and shows how many problems we actually have in this country. It mentions about the white house having its celebrity party and then complaining about not having money and about how 1 in 6 Americans live in poverty. I think this represents a lot of problems in our country, and I would give this cartoon a b, because it is very accurate and the drawing is creative.

5. This image shows how Obama has been overly sensitive about the guns he has listed on the gun ban list. It shows that water guns could be used as assault weapons, and how ridiculous it is to think we can prevent violence just by changing the guns allowed in the United States.For this idea I would grade it as an a, because it shows Obama and both parties showing their discontent with the budget and the fact it twisted in the banned guns.   

Distracted Driving Bill

Distracted Driving

 

As of now, each state has different laws for distracted driving, especially differing in age groups allowed to participate in this. Most states have leaned towards allowing adults over the age of 25 (twenty-five) to talk on their cell phone and in most states, texting has been illegal completely. Studies have shown that most distracted driving accidents occur while using a cellular device. Driving while using a cell phone reduced brain activity associated with driving by 37%. With this bill, a law shall be created in order to limit the usage of cell phones while driving. This is not a problem sectioned off solely for young adults, but 60% of adults over 40 have admitted to texting while driving, and 98% of these adults have admitted they know it is unsafe. A national law should be passed that prevents texting completely during driving, not just for young adults. While drivers under the age of 20 hold the highest percentage of crashes due to texting and driving, a very large number develops from adults over 20. The law for the nation should prohibit all ages of all drivers from texting while driving, and should prohibit complete use of cell phones without a headset to keep both hands available for safe, defensive driving.

BR 4-8-13

It bothers me when I get all these speeches and assemblies talking about teens texting and talking on the phone while driving and more adults contribute to distracted driving than anyone. I have seen more 40 year old women on their cell phone cut me off on traffic than I have ever seen a teenager drive poorly on his cell phone. The truth is, my generation is more accustomed to technology and multi-tasking and I shouldn't be the one being badgered about my cell phone when I don't even TALK while driving. let alone text! My mother who runs over curbs when she's eating a burrito should be scolded when she's calling someone, not me.

BR 3-28-13

I think Italy needs to reform their government system and learn that they cannot convict a person without evidence against them. They are re-trying them to save-face, because the families of the victim are probably crying out for justice. Italy needs to re-think their convictions when over 50 percent of their convictions are repealed.

BR 3-27-13

The Government cannot deny people who are already married! The point of them being granted marriage is to be able to reap benefits. It's not fair that significant others are stuck with the cost of funerals and viewings because they can't receive the benefits from insurance policies. The reason they've fought so hard to get married is to be able to receive the same benefits as heterosexual couples. I think this is wrong and discriminatory.

BR 3-13-13

In 2005 Senator Byrd created a law that required all government funded institutions to educate their students on September 17th about the constitution. He felt it was very important to know the history of the document and how it came about. I agree that knowing the constitution is very important and especially knowing the bill of rights.

Would I like to be a juror?

I believe I would like to be on jury duty for a murder case or other exciting case, but to be paid 15 dollars a day for a basic civil case, I would prefer to decline. I would love a career as a supreme court justice, because I think upholding our constitutional rights is a very important part of the our society. Over the years we have allowed our constitutional rights to be impeded on, and I would like to be part of a society that stands up for the rights we fought for.

Civics Assignment- Jurors' Duties

The role of a juror consists of reading evidence, listening to a case, using good judgment in cases with witnesses, and detemining if the plantiff provided enough information to deem a defendent, guilty or not guilty. They must discuss the case and evidence with the other jurors and come to a unanimous verdict. In the United States there are many types of courts that split into sub-categories between state and federal. State courts split into 3 courts: Trial, Intermediate Appellate, and The Highest State Court. Trial further splits into general which can oversee cases of civil or criminal and limited which oversees cases such as probate, family, traffic, juvenile, smal claims, and municipal cases. The Intermediate Appellate determines if the trial cases follwed the laws set in each state. The Highest State Court is the final revenue for appeals.

Federal courts are split into 9 separate types of courts, 94 districts, and 12 regional circuit courts. Federal oversees court cases dealing with diversity of citizenship and Federal questions which are cases between states, cases that include high ranking public figures, bankruptcy and many other types of cases.

In the US, there are three different types of juries; criminal grand juries, criminal petit juries, and civil grand juries. A criminal grand jury is used in replacement of a preliminary hearing for the prosecution. They decide for 15 dollars a day and gas mileage and determine if a person is guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. Civil Grand Juries are responsible for investigating complaints in the county and act as a "civil watchdog" for the county and auditing records and books kept by county offices. Petit juries, also called trial juries, are present in civil and criminal cases represented by the local courts.

BR 3-11-13

I cant bring a tube of toothpaste, but I can take a pocketknife on the plane, that's just a little bigger than the box cutter they took down the 9/11 planes with. I really would like to speak with the person who thought this was a good idea. A pocket knife may not be able to take down a plane, but it sure can take out a few people to get to the cockpit!!!

Civics Assignment 3-7-13

1.) I think a filibuster is the most pointless speaking in the Senate chamber, because the only reason for it, is to make people forget about what is most likely, an important vote. Being able to speak that long should not be allowed, and there is absolutely no speech that has taken place in history that has taken over 3 hours to completely get someone's point across. Honestly, if someone held me in a speech without a bathroom I would walk out if it had no point.

2.) Filibuster- An action such as a prolonged speech that obstructs progress in a legislative assembly while not technically contravening the required

Cloture- (in a legislative assembly) A procedure for ending a debate and taking a vote.

3.)      A filibuster originated to take media and minds off of a problem at hand. It is basically a really long speech given at the Senate chamber to prolong a voting for an issue at hand. A filibuster usually works to prolong a vote, but for this past one it was to 






-Did you know the first longest filibuster was 24 hours 18 minutes long?

-Did you know the shortest filibuster was less than an hour and a half? 

-Did you know there is more than 1 way to overthrow a filibuster?

-Did you know filibusters exist outside of the US?

-Did you know the cloture was adopted in 1917?

-Did you know the "Gang of 14" 7 democrats and 7 republicans voted in 2005 to only allow 5 filibusters against judicial nominations in extreme cirsumstances?

 

BR 3-7-13

Rand Paul spoke a little less than 12 hours to filibuster a vote about drones in the US and on US territory. I think a filibuster is pointless and only takes minds off of an important issue at hand. I think if a speech must take place, then it must have a point and should be no more than 4 hours. No speech in history that ever made a difference was over 3 hours. Also, if someone kept me in a room for that long without me being able to use the bathroom, I would probably pee myself.

BR 3-5-13

I think if they keep threatening us we need to just bomb them or something. I am unclear of what this article was about, but it doesn't sound safe to us. Also, I don't understand why we can't come to a conclusion and reach a peaceful agreement. Then again, it is North Korea...

BR 3-4-13

1) Tax bills for rich families approach 30-year high - The article talks about the increase in taxing of upper financial class Americans. The top 1% of households which make around 1.4 million dollars a year are going to be subjected to the highest tax rates in 30 years. Is this right? I understand what the liberals are trying to do, they're trying to take the pressure of federal taxing off of middle-class Americans by applying more to the upper level income families. So I ask you again, is this right? No. Those people are wealthy for a reason. They didn't steal all that money, it had to be earned. Why should they be subjected to paying more taxes than anyone else? The average family makes about $46,000 and have an income tax of about 14%. If you take 14% of 1.4 million, you still end up with much more money than you would if you took it from the $46,000. The wealthy already pay more in taxes than anyone else, so why should that be increased? Long-term, this plan will do more damage than good.

2) Corporate America gears up for tax-reform debate - Tax-reform is coming, but like most things in our country it will take time. With neither side working in a bipartisan manor, it is unlikely to see any change in the following few months. Taxes have been raised to almost all-time high and without tax-reform, it is unlikely to change. Money is trying to be freed up everywhere you look, and hopefully and cap can be found by Congress, and all the budget cuts passed down from the Senate and House will not be in vain. Maybe the money will be freed up enough to put a dent in the national debt, or maybe the plan backfires and leaves millions unemployed and leaves our economy in an even more terrible state.

Our Society Has Become Too Tolerant....

        Our society has become too tolerant of the lack of respect for marriages. I do not believe that marriages used to be perfect, nor do I believe they ever will be. Marriage used to be "'till death do us part" and over the years it has become "'til someone better comes along." I am not preaching that all marriages used to be perfect, but it has become easier to cheat and get a divorce. Families are becoming more broken up and cheating is becoming more and more acceptable in long and short term marriages.
       There are sites available to married men and women to meet up and have affairs with no reprecussions and the site creator believes it to be beneficial to a marriage. Cheating after commiting yourself to one another used to be frowned upon and marriage used to be held in high standards. Lately, the meaning of marriage is blurred and open marriages are becoming more popular. Many people will specifically hunt for married men and women because they feel like it is a challenge or they have a vendetta against their own unfaithful relationship.
       It is normal to feel remorse if you have wronged a loved one, but it seems that since our family values have decreased, so has our respect for others and ourself. Media has changed so rapdily over the years to desensitize us to unfaithful relationships that we have accepted it to be an inevitable part of life. It used to be dirty, immoral or unattractive to cheat in a marriage and the media shielded us from even getting these ideas. For example, in the 60's, when The Beetles premiered on TV, they had a caption under one that said "Sorry ladies, he's married." Now we have songs playing on the radio that state they're "single for the night," meaning he is married but she is not around.
      Cheating has become more prominent, because we believe it is not our responsibility to keep others faithful, when in reality it is our duty and it should be on our conscience. I have heard more than once a female say "that's not my problem" or "that's not my responsibilty," but as we allow it as a nation and we become cocky, marriages are crashing and families are breaking apart. Divorces due to infidelity are constantly increasing and children are being raised by single parents.
      Homes are broken and marriages are less respected by males and females across the United States. Infidelity in a home not only teaches the children to lessen their values, but it can ruin other families especially if the participating party is also married. Cheating can be detrimental to not only a marriage, but to the sanctity of marriage as it develops over the years. We should remember our vows and commitments and follow through with them each day of our lives and learn the benefits of saying no to save a marriage. Or even saying no to save your own marriage. Our society has become too tolerant of lack of respect for marriage and we should be reminded of our sins.

BR 3-1-13

I think it is a little scary to trust the North Korean leader after his threat and I believe it was nice to see him letting his guard down. We should always stay on guard though, because people generally do not have change of heart and I do not expect him to be different. I do not have much more of an opinion on this situation and I hope Basketball games bring us closer to NK.

BR 2-28-13 ALL of them.

1.) Kids Suspended Over Suggestive Harlem Shake Video:

I hate the harlem shake, because it's not really a dance, however, for students to get suspended for THAT long, because it looked "suggestive" is a matter of opinion. We've had a disruptive planned flash mob in our lunch room and they didn't get suspended? The first time I even heard of the Harlem Shake was when my nephew accidentally clicked on it on my phone.

2.) 1 in 3 Teens have Admitted to 'Sexting'

Explicit photo is matter of opinion, because for some people explicit means a bathing suit and for others is a full out show of the downstairs. I don't think that teenagers take into consideration that odds are, their relationship is not going to last. When a relationship ends, you cannot count on the other person to remain loyal to you by respecting you and deleting those photos, especially if the relationship ends badly. They need Jesus.

3.) Guns Shooting and Friendships in a WV Town

WV is a very gun-friendly place, so of course it is part of relationship building in small towns. There are many skeet shooting areas and gun ranges, and its part of our culture here in rural WV.

4.) Deaths Surge Among Youngest Drivers

 I believe it is important for teenagers to get more driving experience before they drive on the highways and other busy streets. Everybody thinks they're the best driver in the world and jump into the car and they don't know how to be a defensive driver or handle situations that get tricky. That's why it is the dumbest idea in the world to take out driver's ed, because it is the one class I would use everyday in life.

People Who Made a Difference

Martin Luther King Jr.: Made "I have a dream speech" on August 28th, 1963 and was a civil rights activist for blacks. He was assassinated in Dallas, TX.

Harvey Milk: Gay rights activist. First Gay city commisioner in the US. played football in high school? Passed non-discriminatory laws. Assassinated in 1978.

Dorothy Hodgkins: Used crystallography to find structure of penacillin. Born in Eygpt, but parents were English. Studied at summerville college in Oxford. University of Cambridge; where she worked with crystallography. Discovered different proteins and received nobel prize in Chem, the Cochlee prize and many others. Nicknamed crowfoot because it was her maiden name.

Albert Einstein: dropped out of hish school and gained admission to a polyotechnic institute. Created the e=mc2 formula for theory of relativity. Energy gravity light ad time. awarded nobel prize in physics. Us in 1933 to NJ. development of electrical advancements.

Wisnton Churchill: prime minister for two years. Lead britain as Prime Minsters.

Harriet Tubman: slave since young child, 1849 escaped slavery and went to Philly and then returned to free family and other slaves. Cook in the army lead armed people into war. Nelson Davis became her adoptive daughters father. Slave in MD.

Florence Nightingale: Florence , Italy 1820. Youngest of two chidren. Active in philanthropy. Vaered to the poor and by the age of 16, she knew she wanted to be a nurse. Created Red Cross. Queen Elizabeth named a broach after her and gave her lots of money and created nightingale training school for nurses.

Jane Goodall: Born april 3rd 1934 london. Went to tanzania to study chimps. Never had a pet until age of 47- cat. awarded 47 different awards for her research with chimps. studied island of Lake Victoria.

Bill Gates: first computer program at age 13. dropped out of college to follow dreams with Microsoft. created windows that everybody but apple uses. $250 a second. 7 million dollars a day till he was 90 and not run out of money. Married to Melinda. He made a difference because he created the most poular software that has now developed into what we use today.

BR 2-26-13

I heard about this on the radio and I know people who do this. Many people have sent me text as they were falling asleep and they were complete nonsense. Its just like trying to talk when youre tired. I am more a victim of falling asleep before the text is sent. It is a lot harder to send a text on my phone, because its all touch screen.

BR 2-25-13

I think we need to hang tight to our gun laws, because the more we let them come into our lives, the less freedom we have. Soon we're going to have to ask permission to use the bathroom. I don't think we can actually have all our guns taken away but we can make it so difficult to get one that our country is going to give up on them.

BR 2-22-13

1.) I think its important to keep the fuel sustainable and if that requires less ethanol, then it needs to happen. That was the most boring and uninformative article I have ever read and hope we never get one on ethanol fuel again. Thank you.

2.) Of course West Virginia is a depressing state! Everybody acts like they're going to die at 28 years old. Nobody understands that in 50 years a lot can happen. On another note, there's nothing to do; and people discourage any type of fun for teenagers. The fact that over 50 percent of these people own guns is even scarier.

BR 2-21-13

I think as a parent, you shouldn't care what color the caretaker of your baby is. All you should be worrying about is whether or not the baby gets the proper treatment. This man should know what he did was wrong and unlawful; this is an ignorant request and ridiculous. It outrages me greatly and I think the man should be sued for discrimination and hindering the ability for a nurse to properly do her job. Can you imagine if the baby was in need of immediate attention and the black nurse had to walk away, because she read the sign? that man should be ashamed of himself.

BR 2-20-13

I believe they should renew it, because it keeps that safety net for the southern states even though it is extremely unlikely for it to happen again. I think it would be a riot if they took the safety net away, because many people still feel the pain of their ancestors and mothers and grandparents. If we took that away, people would become frightened and trust their legislators less.

BR 2-19-13

I don't believe we should all be required to serve, because I believe it is something that requires more than two years and I think the benefits should be reserved for those who go into it for a lifetime of active duty. Some people are not physically capable of serving active duty and others have children who they may need to raise in their delicate stages. Yes, I believe we should all serve our country in some way but I do not believe we should be forced to serve for two years straight or any length of specific time. I do think, however I believe all people receiving federal benefits should have to work in a federal building in some way. This is my opinion.

BR 2-14-13 Happy V-day!

I don't think our birth rate has gone down, because of less people getting pregnant necessarilly, but it went down due to an increase in abortions and loss of the baby. Also, the 70's was when oral contraceptives were introduced. This is great considering the immigration into this country and the increase in population size. This is not an excuse to go out and have a kid, though. Even though we need to bridge the gap, we need people who can raise a child properly and monetarily.

BR 2-13-13

I don't really understand the point in this bell ringer, but I will comment that Obama spoke very well and he mentioned many of his previously stated points like energy, gun control and helping our allied nations. He is a very intelligent person, but I heard many points about Rubio's response that were more valid than Obama's.

BR 2-12-13

I think North Korea needs to be careful with nuclear testing, because it effects all of the surrounding areas. If any nuclear fluid leaks that means cancer for us all, or at least them. They need to obide by the rules like all the rest of us, because when its not approved and they go ahead and do it anyway, then they need to be shut down.

BR 2-11-13

I think Obama needs to worry about the fact that my parents only get 60 percent of their paycheck and it makes more sense to stay home than it does to go to work. When you overly tax the rich, it sends companies out of the country, therefore decreasing jobs. Maybe he should look at the actual results instead of the overly liberal side of things for once, like the fact that peoples job hours are being cut and families are going in debt.

BR 2-7-13

I think people need to understand that in both DC and Chicago, they have the tightest gun control laws in the country and they both also have the highest gun violence in the nation. Before people start spewing out facts about less gun, less crime, I think the congress needs to take a look at the real facts and not just base their votes on the tragedy at Sandy Hook. I wish people would understand that if we outlaw assault weapons then only outlaws will have assault weapons and innocent folks are left to defend themselves with a 3 shot handgun.

BR 2-6-13

I hate how they shove technology down our throats and they say it allows us to learn everywhere we are, but  in reality it only allows students who have access to the internet or computers at home. I am one of those students that don't have internet and it angers me because it makes it hard when teachers assign internet work or research work when I don't have the resources or the books. I think its great to take advantage of technology but when that's your only resource its a pain in the behind.

1-31-12

I wish everyone would shut up about gun control. GUNS DONT KILL PEOPLE! People kill people!!!!! Detroit has the strictest gun control laws and they have one of the highest murder rates. People need to take that into consideration when they decide to make more gun control laws. West Virginia is one of the lowest crime rate states in rural areas and we pretty much all own guns.

BR 1-30-13

I think its ridiculous that people keep pushing college degrees because some people are just paying more money to make the same amount as if they just had a high school degree. I know several people that have gotten a degree only to get paid more at a job that doesnt even require a high school degree. If people keep pushing college degrees theyre becoming as necessary as a high school degree.

1-14-13

I think an assault weapons ban would be stupid because we have already had one and it did not prevent any school shootings. Just a few years after, the two kids in Columbine shot up the school and would have been much more successful if the bombs had gone off. I am almost positive they did not have assault weapons and  they still attempted to shoot up a school and killed several kids. I hope congress will not renew the AWB because it proved ineffective.

BR 1-29-13

I think it is rude to discriminate against anybody especially when it comes to jobs and recreational activities, but I understand their apprehension against having homosexuals. It makes it more likely for molestation to happen when they openly allow men who they know are attracted to other men. Just because they like men, though does not mean they like children. Also, I'm sure there have been many men that have chaperoned a boyscout trip that have LIED about being gay and molested the children without the scouts having any type of reluctancy to hire him.

BR 1-16-13

Honestly, I could care less about whether or not he uses the official license plate of Washington, DC. We need to focus more on what he's doing in the office rather than the tags he puts on his vehicle that the president does not see while siting in the limousine. I understand it represents dedication to the people of DC, but it honestly has nothing to do with how he runs a country!

BR 1-15-13

Many states have added restrictions to gun control due to the havoc the Sandy Hook shooting caused. There will always be gun restrictions, but how far will they go? Each year they add taxes and restrict one more thing we can have and how far are we going to let this go? Many states are trying to calm the citizens down and just keep their people safe rather going as far as more restrictions.

BR 1-28-13

I think Hilary Clinton is a brilliant woman. There's absolutely no reason that she could not run this country, because she is extremely competent and does her work well, but it is really hard for a woman to run a country when a lot of our surrounding nations that we have to do business with do not support women in office. Other countries would lose respect for us and it would be hard to communicate. This is the ONLY reason I believe Hilary Clinton would be a bad choice as candidate; that, and she is really emotional. When she gets a little tougher and learns to take criticism, and can take control with other countries, then I will vote for her.

Presidential Inauguration

On January 21st, 2013 President Barack Obama was sworn into office for his second term of presidency. This day also happened to fall on Martin Luther King Jr. Day which many people thought ironic. It has never fallen on Martin Luther King Jr. Day before because it has only been celebrated since 1986 and inauguration only happens every four years. There was estimated to be up to 1 million people who attended the presidential inauguration yesterday. This number is projected as 900,000 less people than his swearing in of the first term. Obama was the first president to use the word "gay" in his inauguration speech. This past inauguration was the 57th one since 1901 when they started doing them. Mrs. Michelle Obama stunned the crowd once again with her very pricey, elegant Jason Wu  red dress for the inaugural ball.

BR 1-3-13

I can't even think what would go through my mind if someone actually STOLE MY HOUSE. That's ridiculous! Why would someone rob someone's trailer. It's amazing that someone would think they could get away with it. I didn't understand the last part about CNN.

BR 1-2-13

Congress and the House of Reps just recently voted on the fiscal cliff on Dec. 31st. 2012. The outcome of the passing of the bill was to extend unemployment benefits for "out-of-work" Americans and increase taxes on the wealthy or people who make above $400,000 a year and $450,000 for couples. This does not mean they are penalized for being wealthy, but the tax cuts from former president Bush were relieved. Prior to this bill, Americans who made over a certain amount were rewarded by cutting their taxes, because their input to the economy was much more than others.In interviews with the GOP representatives, they felt pressured and did not want to be the blame for going over the deadline or fiscal cliff. It seemed through interviews that it had been a forced vote by the republicans. Obama and Biden both stated that they feel it is a good start to a whole new plan to fix our economy and decrease our debt, but many others disagree.