The Mile High City May Be Higher Than We Think!

I will be traveling to Denver, Colorado in a few months for business.  I’ve been before and have always enjoyed my time there, but this will be the first time I’ve been since they legalized marijuana.  Colorado’s law legalizing the drug for recreational use became effective January 1^st of this year.  Colorado residents can purchase up to 1 ounce and out-of-state visitors can buy .25 ounce during their stay.  Colorado expects to take in $184 million in tax revenue in just the first 18 months.

I’ve blogged before about the economic benefits of legalizing marijuana, even if only for medicinal uses.  If you’re interested in reading my thoughts and your fellow students’ comments, you can click here: http://historicalandpoliticalissues.blogspot.com/2009/10/can-marijuana-save-te-economy.html

However, despite the fact that legalizing marijuana may provide much needed revenue, opponents say legalizing pot will only add to social woes; increasing crime, drug addiction, mental health disorders, and driving up insurance rates.  So my question to you this week is "Should the United States legalize marijuana, medicinally or otherwise?" Answers are due by Sunday, March 2^nd, 2014.  P.S.  And for those you who are bound to ask – the answer is “No – I won’t be smoking while I’m there! I’m too afraid of employment drug tests! J”

Standing on Shaky Ground

This past weekend, Michael Dunn, a white, 47 year old was convicted on several counts of attempted murder for fatally shooting Jordan Davis, a 17 year old black male.  The jury failed to reach a verdict on the 1st degree murder charge, resulting in a mistrial for the charge.  Dunn is currently awaiting sentencing on the other charges and could face 60 years in prison.

Dunn was at a convenience store when he encountered Davis and his friends, who were sitting in a parked car, playing loud music.  The music was defined by the defense attorney in the case as "thug music".  Dunn and Davis got into a verbal argument about the music, before Dunn pulled a 9mm handgun out and shot multiple times at the car full of teenagers.  Dunn said he felt like his life was in danger, that he thought he saw a shotgun in the car, and acted in self-defense, according to Florida's controversial Stand Your Ground law.

This isn't the first time the Stand Your Ground law has resulted in the death of a young, black male.  You may remember the Trayvon Martin case last year, in which George Zimmerman fatally shot Martin after an altercation.  You can read my thoughts and your fellow student comments on the Martin case here:  http://historicalandpoliticalissues.blogspot.com/2012/04/justice-for-trayvon.html
When Zimmerman was later acquitted of all charges, I blogged about the case again, which you can read here: http://historicalandpoliticalissues.blogspot.com/2013/07/justice-for-trayvon-part-2.html

Florida's Stand Your Ground law, which is becoming popular in states all around the country, allows individuals to use deadly force to defend themselves, without any requirement to evade or retreat from a dangerous situation.  Supporters say it gives power to the victims and allows people to protect themselves.  Opponents say the law goes to far in allowing deadly force, even if an individual only thinks they are in a dangerous situation, which may not actually be the case.

So my question to you this week is, "What do you think of the Stand Your Ground law?  Do you think Michael Dunn should be convicted of 1st degree murder in the killing of Jordan Davis?"  Answers are due no later than Sunday, February 23rd, 2014

Gainful Employment and You

A few years ago, I wrote a blog post on the staggering cost of college and student loan debt students take on.  You can read my thoughts and your fellow students’ comments here: http://historicalandpoliticalissues.blogspot.com/2012/04/i-owe-my-soul-to-university.html   

So when one of your classmates brought up the email she received from the Art Institute of Indianapolis President, Michael Morphew on new student loan rules being proposed by the Department of Education, I thought it was worth a new post.

The “gainful employment” rule which many of you have already heard about could significantly impact you.  According to the Department of Education, “far too many students are taking on unstainable debt for degrees that fail to help them get jobs”.  The new regulations would stop financial aid for programs unless they can demonstrate they lead to gainful employment for their students. To determine if a program would lead to gainful employment, schools must meet one of the following three metrics:

·         35% of former students are re-paying their loans

·         The estimated annual loan payment of a typical graduate doesn’t exceed 30% of their discretionary income

·         The estimated annual loan payment for a typical graduate doesn’t exceed 12% of their total earnings

According to Michael Morphew, these new regulations could mean, “students who count on this aid to attend the college of their choice, may be denied the opportunity to get the education they choose”.

This is a big issue, that affects many of you.  So, my question to you this week is, “What do you think about the ‘gainful employment’ rule?  Do you think it helps or hurts America’s students?”  Answers are due no later than Sunday, February 16^th, 2014.  To contact your Senator or Representative, please go here: http://www.contactingthecongress.org/   Regardless of which side of the fence you sit on, I urge you to let your voices be heard.  Don’t let someone else make the choice for you!

 

A Little Bit of Sunshine!

Like everyone else, I'm pretty tired of the snow.  Between the shoveling, the long commutes and the freezing temperatures - I'm just over it!  Which made it all the more worse this weekend, when Puxatawny Phil saw his shadow and predicted six more weeks of winter.  I'm not sure I can make it six more weeks.


As much as I am sick of the snow, there's one place where I won't mind seeing it - Sochi, Russia. That's right - the Winter Olympics begin this week! For those who know me, you know that I am a HUGE fan of the Olympics. I love the artistry of the opening ceremonies. I get all caught up in the emotional stories of the athletes who have struggled so hard and overcome so many obstacles just to make their Olympic dreams come true. I watch sports I've never even heard of before (like curling) and I always, always cheer for the underdog.

So to bring us a little bit of sunshine this week, I thought I'd go easy on you.  My question this week is, "What is your favorite Olympic sport, and why?"  It's funny because I'm way to uncoordinated to play sports, but I love watching them on television.  My favorite Olympic sports are gymnastics and swimming, but since these are the Winter Olympics, I'm going to go with snowboarding. Their tricks look amazing!  Answers are due no later than Sunday, February 9th, 204.