Would School Uniforms Improve Our Schools?

I had my fair share of Catholic school plaid jumpers and white dress shirts.
School Uniform Purpose
In cities like Detroit and Jersey City, school uniforms are a great way of controlling gang attire. Many feel that uniforms are way of making children obey rules and develop work ethic. When children enter the world of work, the parent said, some will be in jobs that require them to dress in a particular way. Students already subjected to the discipline of wearing uniforms will be in a better position to comply, the parent said. Others feel that having all students dress in the same attire eliminates bullying, theft and other issues. In addition, children no longer have to worry about what to wear.

Those opposing school uniforms feel that forcing a child to dress a particular way limits their individuality and creativity. They think uniforms are directly linked to rebellion and depression. Another argument is cost and comfort. People say that uniforms or no uniforms, children will still bully other children.

MY OPINION: I attended 7 years of private school and hated wearing uniforms. Then I finished the remainder of my schooling “uniform free” and noticed a billion problems. Girls wearing too skimpy of clothing, boys wearing shirts containing profanity, and so on. It was a big distraction because every 5 minutes someone was being asked to leave for his or her “failure to dress appropriately”. Then the schools tried to establish rules about the length of shorts and dresses and what shirts can’t say. Kids find ways around it all.
One thing I have noticed in my more adult years is that most people tend to act more mature/professional when they are in dress clothes. Like my friends at my wedding. They all behaved perfectly and looked amazing. Put the same people in jogging outfits and Nikes and they are obnoxious (probably why I love them). I think when people “dress up” they automatically feel good about themselves and it shows in their actions. Now, I’m not saying uniforms are great. To this day I won’t wear plaid. Maybe if there were more options for uniforms I would like it better. Let’s say there was 5 or 6 choices. That’d be better.

RAPE is not a SERIOUS CRIME, says DA

WARNING: This will disturb you to say the least:

The DA's office does NOT consider rape to be a life-threatening assault. THIS MEANS they will charge anyone who uses lethal force in self-defense against a rapist with SECOND DEGREE MURDER or attempted murder.

Surprisingly, many agree with this! In a poll taken, 59% of people feel that rape is not a crime that one should loose his life over, another 25% feel that rape is awful and the victim should only use violence as a LAST RESOURT, 10% feel that lethal force is needed and the remainder is undecided!

On a site which I will not mention, one reader actually boasts the following, “Brute force should only be used uif the attacker is using it. For example, if the attacker has a gun, it is permittable to shoot him. If the attacker has a knife then you may stab him, but if he is unarmed it is inexcusable to harm him using a weapon”

Another reader writes, “A person can RECOVER from rape. People can’t recover from murder. It is clearly WRONG to use lethal force in this situation.”

I don’t even want to give any more of the responses to this article.

MY OPINION: If someone is going to rape me I will do whatever I can to excape the situation, even if this means murder. I refuse to abide by this ludacris law. I am absolutely shocked and horrified to discover that I could spend 12 years of my life or more in jail because some a**hole decided to attack me.
I understand that the DA needs to have some kind of limit. For example, I saw on Court TV a case where a woman murdererd her husband because he tried to rape her, supposedly.
Point being, this may not have been the case at all. She could have been mad he was cheating and, being enraged in “passion”, decided to take his life. Who knows?
BUT, I think this law in general is rediculous. It almost encourages rapists to rape.

What do you think?

Teen BOOT CAMP: A Punishment or a Solution?

Some kids are just out of control. This usually is a result of improper parenting. But what should be done? So many parents frown on physical punishments, such as spanking. But When “Time-outs” aren’t working and you are afraid of your child making life altering mistakes, what do you do?

Boot camp is becoming a hot new idea for struggling parents. Talk shows like Maury and Salley and “Brat Camp” have praised this idea for years. But does it work? More importantly, is it safe?

On March 14, 2006: A boot camp in AZ was charged with over 50 counts of child abuse. The charges stemmed from all kinds of sick and twisted actions. One child was forced to stand in 116 degree heat and eat mud. This child died. Another drill sergeant, Ray Anderson, was charged with child abuse for allegedly spanking, stomping, beating and whipping more than 14 children. He also was accused of denying them water or shade in the heat. A teen in Santa Rosa died as a result of a bug bite that as not given any medical attention, even though he repeatedly requested it. The list goes on and on.

According to bootcampsforteens.com, your child needs boot camp if they have/are doing any of the following:

Attention Deficit Disorder,
negative group of friends,
uncontrollable anger,
sneaking out at night,
feelings of despaire,
emotional problems,
lack of respect.
Hyperactivity Disorder,
expelled from school,
no friends: "a loner",
lack of discipline,
lack of self control,
lack of motivation,
Pregnant teen,
Aggression,
Minor legal problems OR
Poor grades

Are these REALLY ALL reasons to send a kid to boot camp? Poor Grades? I don’t know if boot camp is an appropriate solution for Poor Grades. Lack of motivation?
As a teen, would being sent to a boot camp help you or hurt you?

What do you think?

The RITALIN Made Me Do It!

Remember the Scott Pittmen case from last year? A 12 year old boy on Prozac kills his grandparents, burns down the house in which they live, hides in the woods and fabricates a story to police?
That case was huge. It was all over the news. People were outraged saying that there is NO WAY that a drug could have any affect on a kid, well, not an affect like “this”. Did you know he did not like taking the Prozac? He would argue with his grandparents daily about the drug. In addition, due to faulty work by his doctor he was administered twice the amount that was prescribed to most adults.
The kid ended up getting life in prison although some people claim he was innocent. Either way, his grandparents are still murdered and Prozac is still be “served”.


“I’LL HAVE THE PROZAC WITH A SIDE OF RITALIN, PLEASE.”

Ritalin, a drug that is used to clam super hyper children down…right? Tell me this, if this is a good drug to give children, then why is it in the same category as morphine, opium, and cocaine? This drug category happens to be the highest potential for abuse.

Well if it’s so bad then Why are doctors prescribing this drug so often?

Ritalin is an amphetamine-like drug widely prescribed to children for the alleged mental disorder Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) a psychiatric label for children who fidget or are inattentive
Despite the lack of any scientific basis for this alleged psychiatric malady, children are being drugged by the millions with this cocaine-like substance even though Ritalin's manufacturer warns that "...frank psychotic episodes can occur with abusive use" and psychiatry's Diagnostic & Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders (the DSM) states that the major complication of Ritalin withdrawal is suicide!
If this were not bad enough, more than 900,000 children and adolescents between the ages of six and eighteen are now on prescribed psychiatric anti-depressant drugs. These drugs, particularly the newer anti-depressants, such as Prozac, Zoloft and Luvox called SSRIs, are also tied by extensive research and all too many news headlines to acts of violence and suicide. In fact, in just one four-year-period, between 1988 and 1992, there were reports of more than 90 children and adolescents who had suffered suicidal or violent self-destructive behavior while on Prozac.


SO IS THIS A ONE-OF-A-KIND DEAL?
No. This is all to common. I could list 300 instances, but here’s eleven:

1.. On May 25, 1997, 18-year-old Jeremy Strohmeyer raped and murdered a 7-year-old African American girl in Las Vegas, Nevada. Strohmeyer had been diagnosed with ADD and prescribed Dexedrine, a Ritalin-like drug, immediately prior to the killing.
2. On October 1st, 1997, in Pearl Mississippi, 16-year-old Luke Woodham stabbed his mother, 50-year-old Mary Woodam, to death and then went to his high school where he shot nine people - killing two teenage girls and wounding seven others. Published reports say he was on Prozac.
3. Exactly two months later on Dec 1, 1997, Michael Carneal, a 14-year-old, opened fire on students at a high school prayer meeting in West Paducah, Kentucky. Three teenagers were killed, five others were wounded, one of whom was paralyzed. Carneal was reportedly on Ritalin.
4. Then in February, 1998 a young man in Huntsville, Alabama, while on Ritalin went psychotic - chopping up his parents with an ax and also killing one sibling and almost murdering another.
5. On March 24, 1998 in Jonesboro, Arkansas, 11-year-old Andrew Golden and 14-year-old Mitchell Johnson shot 15 people killing four students, one teacher, and wounding 10 others. According to one report, the boys were believed to be on Ritilan.
6. Two months later another grisly school massacre occurred. On May 21, 1998 15-year-old Kip Kinkel of Springfield, Oregon murdered his parents and proceeded to his high school where he went on a rampage killing two students and wounding 22 others. Kinkel had been prescribed both Prozac and Ritalin.
7. On April 16th, 1999, 15-year-old Shawn Cooper of Notus, Idaho took a 12-guage shot gun to school and started firing, injuring one student and holding the school hostage for about 20 minutes. Terrified students ran for their lives, some barricading themselves in classrooms. Cooper had been taking Ritalin when he fired the shotgun's rounds.
8. The incident in Idaho did not make the national press (no one, thank God, was killed). But all that changed four days later when 18-year-old Eric Harris killed 12 students and a teacher at Columbine High School before killing himself. Harris was on one of the SSRI anti-depressants called Luvox.
9. One month later to the day, on May 20th of this year TJ Solomon, a 15-year-old high school student in Conyers, Georgia, while on Ritalin opened fire on and wounded six of his classmates. Thankfully, none were killed.
10. Then there's 14-year-old Rod Mathews who had been prescribed Ritalin since the third grade and beat a classmate to death with a bat.
11. And 19-year-old James Wilson who had been on psychiatric drugs for 5 years and took a .22 caliber revolver into an elementary school in Greenwood, South Carolina killing two young girls, and wounding seven other children and two teachers!


STOP! WE HAVE THE WRONG CULPRIT!!
So what is the solution?
79 percent of hyperactive children improved when suspect foods were eliminated from their diets, only to become worse again when the foods were reintroduced. Artificial colorings and flavorings were the most serious culprits; sugar was also found to have a noticeable effect." Another excellent study based on the Fiengold diet involved 276 youths at a detention facility in Virginia who were put on the diet for two years. The results? Insubordination dropped 55 percent, theft decreased 77 percent, and hyperactivity fell 65 percent. The most remarkable study of the diet was conducted over a four-year-period on a million school children in 803 public schools in New York City. The schools eliminated foods containing artificial flavors, colors and preservatives from the school cafeterias and also reduced the amount of sugar that was available. The results were startling.




MY OPINION:
I think an EIGTH GRADER (Matt Scherve) from Bethesda, Maryland summed it up best:

"Schools don't like extremists who like to think and question. They are dreamers. That doesn't mean that they are wrong. They just don't fit the norm, so they are labeled and damned, labeled as A.D.D. (Attention Deficit Disorder). So the doctors dope us up with Ritalin and control our minds with low doses of speed. The teachers pay us no mind until our minds are under control. It screws up our train of thought and makes us one-dimensional. We get headaches and almost depressed getting on and off it. It takes away extra imagination and flow of mind, hence destroying the true, purest ideas of my mind. I can't think right, and for six hours of the day, I'm not me. I'm what the system would like me to be. The schools should shape our education around our idiosyncratic minds, our quaint minds, our quirky minds, our crackpot minds, our curious minds. Where would we be without eccentric people? We need them. The system should not shape our minds with dope and low doses of speed; the system should be shaped around us. Ritalin does not help me learn; it simply lowers my mind down between the selected lines in which we are taught. Who's going to get further in life, the schmo with the same textbook answers and ideas, or the "A.D.D. kid" who can offer ideas that have never been thought of or a new perspective on something? I truly look forward to the day when Ritalin isn't an answer. To the day when every student is labeled 'learner.'" It is a travesty that we are drugging these kids ladies and gentlemen. Education in this country was a source of pride and progress until we started labeling and drugging our students. It can be again, We spend billions fighting a war against illegal drugs, let's at least win part of that war and kick the "legal" cocaine out of the classroom.”




http://www.rumormillnews.com/cgi-bin/archive.cgi?read=6249

SPORTS BETTING: The Only Crime Worse than MURDER

Legalize Sports Betting?

The government had debated legalizing prostitution and marijuana for years but they are completely and totally against sports betting.unless you live in Las Vegas, Delaware, Montana or Oregon!
I found it very interesting – did you know that in 1992 Congress banned states from legalizing sports gambling, while allowing it to continue where already legal. BUT the SAME YEAR some states were doing “experimental tests” for the legalization of marijuana.

Then in 2004, when New Jersey finally decided to legalize sports betting the NFL decide to put an end to that!
(following excerpt from the L.V. Sun Times)
Officials from Atlantic City casinos enthusiastically supported the idea of sports betting in New Jersey, but an NFL representative told an Assembly committee Monday that legalizing gambling on games would be a mistake.
NFL attorney Jay Moyer urged lawmakers to drop their pursuit of bringing sports betting to Atlantic City because the move would encourage state residents to gamble and change the nature of how fans watch games.
"It would create a pervasive climate of suspicion about any controversial play in a game," Moyer said. "It would send two very bad messages. One is that anything goes when it comes to raising revenues and, two, that gambling and sports are natural partners."

BUSTED!!!
In New Jersey sports a-betting ring involving professional athletes and a state trooper. Former NHL Flyers star Rick Tocchet is charged with helping operate the ring, and authorities have said several NHL players were bettors. After reviewing wiretaps, police determined that one of hockey’s greats, Wayne Gretzky was involved as well as his wife.
Major League Baseball has rarely shied away from the opportunity to send a message about the evils of placing bets on games.It was true in 1919 when the Chicago White Sox threw the 1919 World Series to gamblers and the Reds. Even the umpires were involved.
Remember Pete Rose?
It was 17 years ago to the month when we started to hear through the grapevine that a soon-to-be Hall-of-Famer was linked to betting on sports. Well, Pete Rose bet on baseball games that he managed, possibly fixed some, lied about it until he was caught and was banned for life.
First there was scoffing, followed by denial, and then most people passed it off as a one-time incident. We know how that ended.

CRIME & PUNISHMENT
Tommy Lasorda saya, "In every clubhouse the rules are posted on the door, and they specifically state: If you are caught betting on baseball, it is a one-year suspension. If you are caught betting on your own team, it is life. If he's caught betting on his own team he has to suffer the consequences. That's the rule. It's not my rule. It's the rule. And it's not a rule the government can change. It's a baseball rule. It's been that way since the 1919 Black Sox threw the World Series. That's the way it has to be."
(Hmmm….so I guess it’s ok for Brittney Spears to drive with her infant on her lap but it’s illegal for Wayne’s wife to place a bet?)

So losing your job is what happens if you’re an all star, what if you’re an average Joe? Can you get in trouble for you weekly office pool? Yup! Big time! If you are busted hosting or participating in any form of sports betting you can face fines. Not little fines either. They can range up to tens of thousands of dollars, depending on the bet. Or worse, you can face jail time and possibly loose your belongings. The government take betting very seriously. So why does the government, the NFL, the NHL and every other big time organization take sports betting so seriously? Apparently the NFL already gave their reasoning. The NHL seems to agree. “It takes the fun out of the game” they say. But should players and other bettors receive such serious penalties for betting?

THE DEATH PENALTY

The Death Penalty is a topic of debate. It seems the the nation is truly divided on this subject. Religious beliefs, humane feelings and justice laws all come into play when discussing this topic. Many concerned citizens push to have a death penalty enforced in their state, while others believe in change and forgiveness.

DEFINATION OF THE DEATH PENALTY:
Capital punishment, also called the death penalty, is the execution of a convicted criminal as a punishment for a crime often called a capital offence or a capital crime.

HISTORY OF THE DEATH PENALTY:
Historically, the judicial execution of criminals and political opponents was a phenomenon of nearly all societies, and it was often also used as a means to suppress political dissent. Among democratic countries around the world, most Western and Latin American ones have abolished capital punishment. The United States and democracies in Asia and Africa retain it. Among nondemocratic countries, use of the death penalty is common. The death penalty is seen by some proponents as a more effective deterrent than life imprisonment. The opponents argue that life imprisonment is an equally effective deterrent. Statistical studies have failed to show either argument to be true. In most places that practice capital punishment today, the death penalty is reserved as a punishment for certain murders, espionage, or treason or part of military justice. In some majority-Muslim countries, certain sexual crimes, including adultery and sodomy, carry the death penalty. In many countries, drug trafficking is also a capital offense. In China, human trafficking and serious cases of corruption are also punished by the death penalty. In militaries around the world, courts-martials have sentenced capital punishments also for cowardice, desertion, insubordination, and mutiny.
(as taken from wikipedia.com)

AGAINST THE DEATH PENALTY:
One big question that lingers with every execution is innocence. There are many shows on television, such as “The Innocence Project” that show the reality of a death row inmate possibly being falsely accused. Many times new evidence is found years after a crime has been committed. One episode I watched even had a man that was 13 days from execution. Suddenly new information was brought to the table when an inmate in another jail appeared on television giving an interview about the crime. This other inmate was one of the main witnesses in the case involving the man on death row. In the televised interview the inmate had explained in detail what happened the evening of the murder. The problem was that his televised testimoney didn’t match what he had witnessed to years earlier. With the new information the death row inmate was given a hearing. During that same hearing, additional information was brought forward – the DNA found at the crime scene was misplaced. The police officer on duty at the time did not want to suffer the consequences of his actions so he had fabricated a story. Once all the new evidence was brought forward the jury decided to give the deathrow inmate life without parole.

FOR THE DEATH PENALTY:
Melvin and Linda Lorenz and their son Richard were killed by Roger Stafford. Melvin stopped on a highway near Purcell, Okla., to help what he thought was a woman whose car had broken down, but instead was ambushed by Stafford and his brother, using Stafford's wife as bait. Less than a month after these horrific murders, the trio killed six employees of a steak house in Oklahoma City.

In 1965, Robert Massie murdered mother of two Mildred Weiss in San Gabriel, Calif., during a follow-home robbery. Hours before execution, a stay was issued so Massie could testify against his accomplice. Massie's sentence was commuted to life when the Supreme Court halted executions in 1972. Receiving an undeserved second chance, Massie was paroled, but eight months later robbed and murdered businessman Boris Naumoff in San Francisco.

There is a statistic that says that someone who commits a crime once is 500 times more likely to commit a second crime than a person who has never committed a crime before.
Problem being, some people who have spent a lengthy amount of time in prison are so used to jail life that they do not know how to live a civilized life. Many will intentionally commit another crime to be able to go back to the place they consider to be “home”. Unable to find good housing, a descent job or family, often criminals like these are afraid that they will not be given a long enough second sentence. They intentionally commit a murder.

ANY SOLUTION?
When do we say “enough is enough”? It may sound like a simple solution to lock criminal up forever, but it’s not that easy. With facilities reaching capacity and housing costs sky rocketing, it is becoming increasingly difficult to give out life sentences. To house an inmate in a California prison in 1998, it cost approximately $20,758. This is the cost for a single person! Tax payers complain that schools need more tax money given to them to provide proper education to their children. Citizens want tax money to go to the community – parks, libraries, historical buildings, roads. So what is the solution?

Here’s something interesting I found on the net. It is designed to help you determine what your values are and if you are truly for ao against the death penalty.

Do you AGREE or DISAGREE with the following statements:
1. The Death Penlty Prevents Future Murders?
2. A just society requires the death penalty for a life taken.
3. The risk of executing the innocent precludes the use of the death penalty
4. The death penalty is often unfair and unjust.

Distracted Drivers Law

Did anybody hear about the new law that has passed/is currently passing? It’s called the “Distracted Drivers Law”. I just saw it on the news. What it is, in short, is a law stating that you can get a ticket for being “distracted”. This could mean virtually anything. Weather you are on a cell phone, eating, applying makeup, reading a map, playing with your CD player, etc. If a cop thinks you appear to be “distracted” you get fined. Do you agree with this? I do like the idea of having this law, to an extent. I have seen so many driver, ESPECIALLY YOUNGSTERS, oblivious to their surroundings. It seems like everyday now I almost get hit by someone. Like my mom has always told me, “driving is a defensive skill”.
The thing that I don’t like is the loose definition of “distracted”. I am not at all against police officers, but I know that they, like most of us, have quotas and deadlines. I kinda feel like this law could be trouble because of the cop desperate to make his quota for the month.
What do you think?

Should publishing companies be held accountable for their content?

In Sept 1995 Lawrence Horn was trailed for triple murder. He had hired a hit man named James Perry to kill his ex-wife, his quadriplegic daughter and the nanny.

When James Perry’s home was searched a book titled “Hit Man: A Technical Manual for Independent Contractors” was discovered.

This book is a product of a publishing company located in CO called Paladin Press. Paladin Press has over 50 murder related titles. A few are: How to make disposable silencers, How to strangle someone properly, A Guide to Changing Your Identity, How to Dispose of Dead Bodies, Acts of Terrorism: A How to Guide, etc.

Hit Man actually came to fame when it was found in the home of known Oklahoma bomber Timothy McVey. It was later used by to criminals to commit what has been called one of the top “crimes of the century”, but we’ll get into that later.

So when this book was discovered at James Perry’s home it was a big deal. The media went crazy, airing parts of this book which are actually rather disturbing.

Chapter one of Hit Man is Called “Beginning Mental & Physical Preparation” another chapter is called “Making a Reluctant Victim Talk”
The book explains the proper way to shoot someone. “Always stand between 3 – 6 feet away from the victim. Be sure to shoot them in the eye. This will eliminate unnecessary blood spatter.”
AR-7 are a perfect gun when it comes to killing someone. They are light weight and easy to disassemble.
Use a drill with a standard drill bit to obscure the guns serial numbers before committing a crime.
Rat tail files are a perfect way to quietly pry open locked French doors.

And so on. It’s very graphic in detail.
Well the kin of the victims filed a law suite against Paladin Press, holding them responsible for publishing a “manuscript for murder”.
The Defense’s main argument was Freedom of Speech. It is unconstitutional to make the book company pay the victims family. The Defense sited that authors like Fredrick Forsyth and Tom Clancy also produce publications that have story lines in which people get fake identifications, comit murder, run from the law and more.
Also, they reminded the judge of a similar case that took place in the late 60’s.
The year was 1969 to be exact. Ohio was fighting the KKK for a member making a speech saying that all African American needed to be murdered. This case had eventually reached the supreme court where it was ruled in favor of the KKK. Since no black people had bee “immediately killed”, there was nothing they could do.

The Prosecution completely disagreed. One of the lawyers summed it up by saying, “If I publish a cook book called ‘How to Bake a Chocolate Cake’, I would expect you to buy my book if you plan to bake a chocolate cake. If I write a book called “Hit Man: A Technical Manual for Independent Contractors”, I would EXPECT you to murder someone.”

One section of this book that particularly angered mothers was called “How to make a BABY BOTTLE BOMB”. This is a bomb used to kill innocent children for insurance money.

Another interesting point is the “Pull out checklists” that this publication offers. These check lists are very detailed, including possible cleaning supplies, lock picking gadgets and more.


Regardless of all the efforts, the district court ruled in favor of Paladin Press.
An appeal was made and the case went to Supreme Court.

May 1999. Weeks before the Paladin Press trial was to begin, one of the centuries worst crimes took place. Two students in Columbine open fire on teachers and classmates. When their homes were searched, guess what turned up…PALADIN PRESS.

This worried the owner of the book company so he quietly agreed to settle out of court with the victims families for 2.2 million PLUS he agreed to stop selling the publication Hit Man.

So I ask you; Should Publishers be held responsible for their content?

MY OPINION: Yes. Publishers SHOULD be held responsible for their content. If you want to see this book for free & read it go here: http://ftp.die.net/mirror/hitman/ . It is clearly an instrument of the devil if placed in the wrong hands.
If you don’t plan to go to the web site, at least read what was posted on it about this particular case:

“In 1993, a triple murder was committed in Montgomery County by a man who was alleged to have used this book, Hit Man, as his guide. He was caught and convicted and sentenced to death. Wanting to profit from their loved one's murder, and realizing that the murderer himself was too poor to be worth suing, the family of those killed by the hit man sued Paladin Press, the publisher of the book Hit Man, saying Paladin Press "aided and abetted" the murder.
May 21, 1999, Paladin Press settled the case, giving the families of those killed by the hit man several million dollars, agreeing to destroy the remaining 700 copies of the book in their possession, and surrendering any rights they have to publish and reproduce the work. While the families were successful in profiting from their loved one's death, they have not been successful in stifling the book. With the surrender of the publishing rights by Paladin Press, the book has entered the public domain, and was published on the Internet at Overthrow.com in its entirety on May 22, 1999.
The book was initially published in 1983. 13,000 copies of the book are now in existence. There has only ever been one case where the book was associated with a crime, in that case the criminal had recently finished a lengthy prison sentence and had a history of prior violent crime. It is our opinion this book has never incited a murder, that the settlement of the Paladin Press case was wrong and forced by the insurance company, and that this book, and no book, should be banned. We invite the public to judge for themselves.
That said, here is Hit Man ...”