RE: Should the Eighth Amendments apply to an underage defendant who committed a capital punishment?

Ms. Carolina Gomez, makes a good argument stating that she feels the eighth amendment should apply to everyone, including people underage. Her reasoning behind her statement is that it could potentially decrease the violence that is increasing in the youth. Carolina's problem is that children who create capital offenses should receive the punishment that has been put forth for the crime. But instead as she references the Thompson vs. Oklahoma Supreme Court case, the judges in this said that offenders under the age of 18 can not be sentenced to death due to "cruel and unusual punishment". So why if it is cruel for someone who is underage, why isn't it cruel for someone older? I agree with Carolina's argument, she made her statement and she had evidence, if you commit the crime you do the time, in this case you loose your life!

Mary Jane art thou Savor revised and edited!

Ever thought about how bad the LEGAL things you ingest, or put on your body are? Or you may just not be aware, but things like the processed foods, drinks, and tobacco that you consume on a daily basis contain ingredients that are harmful to your body. For instance synthetic trans fats that are in a lot of snacks, and packaged foods, has been linked to Heart Disease, Cancer, and decreased functioning of your immune system. Then there is cigarettes, in which we all know is very harmful to our bodies, because it causes cancer, weakens the heart, also causes premature aging, just to name a few. So let me ask why are these substances legal and Marijuana is not? Well they all say it's addictive, and impairs your brain. But if you look at the pros and the cons, you will see that the pros out way the cons tremendously, and Marijuana should be legalized all through out the United States.
     Of course if we had it legalized there will have to be some restrictions as to how and when you can use this substance. I would recommend smoking in moderation, don't smoke more than what you can tolerate. Smoking in front of children would be definitely be prohibited, as well as driving under the influence. Smoking outside or in public recreational environments would be ok as long as it is allowed by the owner.  Legal age to smoke the Marijuana should be eighteen. I do feel that some children with mental issues such as ADD or ADHD should be exempt, only because the THC can really calm their nerves, and help them focus in school when it comes to learning. But it would have to be at a age that child can understand what he or she is consuming, why and how it will help them, and explain that the substance isn't to be abused. The side effects of Marijuana would be healthier than the normal medicine doctors usually perform for them usually.

     We all know that a lot of the medicine in the United States side effects can be worse than the actual issue that you had the medicine prescribed for. Marijuana on the other hand doesn't have any harmful effects, it helps to deal with a lot of  medical issues people have, that are caused by diseases such as Lupus, HIV,or even migraines. THC helps to relieve those minor aches that some feel in their body, or it causes "vascular changes in the covering of the brain that helps to relieve those migraines". Teenagers and even adults who suffer from depression can seek healing with Marijuana, for there are strands that can help with increasing your appetite, or completely brighten your spirits. There are so many ways it can help people today, but yet it is marked as something dangerous, unlike the other legal substances whom been proven to lead to those illnesses that Marijuana helps. Isn't that something!

Is Changing Wages a Good Idea??!

The question at hand is should the government  increase the minimum wage to $15 an hour? Of course the majority of the United States answer is going to be yes. Jesus Tovar wrote in his blog Is changing wages a good idea? that he believes as well that it would be a good idea to increase wages, but he looks at both sides of the matter, why it would be good and why he believes it would not be a good idea to increase them. He brings up the fact that the citizens who work fast food work very hard, and have to deal with a lot just for a small compensation. The other side to the situation is that he feels since the wages would go up so would everything else in the economy, and that a "trial should be done first to see how this would be work nationally". He makes a good argument, but it is not supported with any facts or links that would give evidence to support his opinions. His intended audience is not clear, I feel that it leans towards both sides of the situation, those who are for it and those who are against it. I wouldn't give much credibility, just because I don't believe that everything would be the same if wages increased. Maybe if more information was given as to why he believed that, then I could consider that as being a possibility. But overall a good argument was presented, he gave his opinion and his own experiences to back it up.

Mary Jane art thou Savor?

     Ever thought about how bad the LEGAL things you ingest, or put on your body are? Or you may just not be aware, but things like the processed foods, drinks, and tobacco that you consume on a daily basis contain ingredients that are harmful. For instance synthetic trans fats that are in a lot of snacks, and packaged foods, has been linked to Heart Disease, Cancer, decreased functioning of your immune system. Then there is cigarettes, in which we all know is very harmful to our bodies, because it causes cancer, weakens the heart, also causes premature aging, just to name a few. So let me ask why are these substances legal and Marijuana is not? What they all say it's addictive, and impairs your brain. But if you look at the pros and the cons, you will see that the pros out way the cons tremendously.

     We all know that a lot of the medicine in the United States side effects can be worse than the actual issue that you had the medicine prescribed for. Marijuana on the other hand doesn't have any harmful effects, it helps to deal with a lot of  medical issues people have, that are caused by diseases such as Lupus, HIV,or even migraines. THC helps to relieve the minor aches that some feel in their body, or it causes "vascular changes in the covering of the brain that helps to relieve those migraines". Teenagers and even adults who suffer from depression can seek healing with Marijuana, for there are strands that can help with increasing your appetite, or completely brighten your spirits. There are so many ways it can help people today, but yet it is marked as something dangerous, unlike the other legal substances whom been proven to lead to those illnesses that Marijuana helps. Isn't that something!

Sources:http://www.thehealthsite.com/diseases-conditions/10-reasons-smoking-is-bad-for-you/
http://medicalmarijuana.procon.org/view.resource.php?resourceID=000141
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/12/30/worst-food-ingredients.aspx
http://medicalmarijuana.procon.org/view.answers.php?questionID=000218


    

Thursday March 10, Richard Eskow blogged The Penalty for Poverty should not be Death. He starts his blog off making a reference to the Brookings Institution, who made a report stating that wealthy Americans live longer than our poorer citizens, and the life expectancy gap between the two is growing at a rapid pace. Eskow begins his argument agreeing with the statement from the institute. Then stating the statistics of men in the top and bottom 10 percent of income and how their life expectancy ranges. Men who were born in the 1920's and were the bottom 10 percent lived six years less than the top 10, and 1950 the gap rose to fourteen years. So over a time of thirty years that gap doubled, and is still increasing today.

     Now not only does he state the issue, but then he offers a solution. He compares the United States to other countries and how long their citizens live compared to ours, and it is much longer. And the main difference between us and places like Canada is our health care. So his solution would be to allow free healthcare, lower the prices of medicines, and increase social security.  I feel his intended audience is every citizen in the U.S who cares about this social issue, and of course our government. He picked a good argument, with a lot of references and comparisons to back up his blog, so his word is credible. And I do agree with everything he is saying, and I know the poorer class people would. But would some of the wealthier care when they aren't experiencing the issue as much, or would the Government really care or want to fix it if these are ways to make more money and get rid of bodies?

A Future of Standardized Testing?

      February 24, 2016 Sharon Grigsby published Did the new education boss just hint at the future of standardized testing in Texas. She gives a overview about the former Dallas ISD trustee Mike Morath who was  recently named as the next officer over the Texas accountability group, whom is responsible for improving or replacing the STAAR testing system. Two months later Governor Greg Abbott put Morath in charge of the whole education operation.  Morath wants to adjust the way students take tests to where they are "assessed on a smaller scale through out the school year". Teachers would receive feedback, and from there can adjust their criteria to best fit the students.

     Grigsby's intended audience would be students of course, their parents, and any administrative personal involved in all forms of education. It is apparent that she believes that changing the system would make a significant change. Her argument is that Morath's plan "could both lessen the pressure on students by test-as-you-go assessments and keep parents and teachers from end-of-session surprises". I agree with her, because now days I feel some of our children's needs are not met in school. Not everyone grasps information the same. Therefore some are left behind, forced to take the STAAR test multiple times to then have to repeat the same grade over again. If more information is pointed out that a child is struggling with, and at that point in time its handled to some extent, we can save them, helping them to move forward.

     Sharon Grigsby does come off as a creditable writer. She gives credit to mystatesman.com, where she originally read the story about Morath. You can tell she's grown as a editorial writer, because she references a time back when she first began to write, where she was against testing. She admits another writer  was right about a lot of the arguments he proposed, and that takes a lot of courage to do. If she had just got on board about changing our education system without facing what shes' presented in the past, then she would of contradicted herself. So presenting her argument with facts, personal experiences, and other articles as a reference all make her blog valid.

   Can you imagine getting pulled over by the police for not using your turning signal, to then being pulled out of your car for not putting out a cigarette, and taken out of the cameras view only to be put through God knows what?

   Miss Sandra Bland had just relocated to Texas from Chicago for a new job she was going to start. She was pulled over and "arrested for allegedly failing to use her turn signal". Three days later she was found dead in her cell. Originally no charges was found against the officer, until recently. He has a case against him for perjury, a misdemeanor case in which he will be fined $4,000 and could face a year in jail. Sandra's mother has tried to subpoena all the files used in the investigation from the FBI, but the only result is that they wish to not comply.

   This article is worth reading, for it is important to know what is going on in our criminal justice system. How can we as citizens of the United States put our trust in some who are suppose to enforce and protect us, when they are not carrying out their duties correctly. Is this justice?

http://www.salon.com/2016/02/12/the_sandra_bland_case_hasnt_gone_away_what_you_need_to_know_about_the_ongoing_legal_battles/