Uninsured Motorist in Tennessee

Tennessee law states that an individual living in the state is required to be financially responsible for the damage or injury they could cause in an auto accident. This is called a tort state. In order to drive a car in this state residents are required to show proof of your financial responsibility. The limited amount that a driver can have is call liability. So with all of that being said, if everyone follows the law, why do we have such a topic at hand? Allow me to answer that question, “because everyone does not follow the law.” Uninsured Motorist is a topic rapidly grown in the state of Tennessee. Having dealed with this topic on a personal note, only catalyze my interest. I was involved in an accident in the other party did not have motor insurance. And before you guest, yes I footed the bill. Although I was not a fault, everything was filed to my insurance company. The understanding that I gained stated that my insurance company would personally sue the individual at fault. From a broader perspective all vehicles need proper insurance at all times. As a state, Tennessee should work harder to crack down on individuals who are not following the laws involved in auto insurance. Over next few blogs posted on this topic, I hope to bring new ideas, awareness of the need of insurance, and understanding of the legal side of uninsured motorist.

TEEN PREGNANCY IN MEMPHIS CITY SCHOOLS

Amid local and national coverage, Memphis City School system has another on-going issue that a ray of light has been shown upon…Teenage Pregnancy. Teenage Pregnancy is nothing new in Memphis or probably in any city, but national media coverage has once again brought it to the fore front and made it a priority among the board and city wide leaders. The problem stemmed from a news story which showed Frayser High School as having 90 children pregnant at one time. Although statistical data has not been thoroughly trended, the numbers are unsettling and show a need for plan to be in place. Superintendent Kriner Cash said in a recent news conference that the number is incorrect. He stated that in actuality the girls are in different stages of either being pregnant or have already delivered. He said that because of a program geared towards teens; a lot of students were transferred to Frayser High to receive the needed benefits of that program. Surrounded by City & Shelby County mayors, AC Wharton & Mark Luttrell, Cash said “In MCS, we have an adolescent parenting program that serves 85 to 100 young people; but it’s not big enough. We need a bigger boat.” Superintendent Cash also talked about a few other MCS programs put in place to combat the teen pregnancy problem, including one such that ensures students who are out of school because of giving childbirth, return to school and not fall behind their studies after giving birth. MCS just launched an awareness campaign in conjunction with Girls Incorporated of Memphis called “No Baby”. Shelby County Mayor Mark Luttrell announced that the Shelby County Office of Children & Youth has joined with Memphis City Schools to help tackle the teenage pregnancy problem that has once again plagued the city of Memphis. Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital’s president and CEO, Meri Armour pledged a $4 million dollar federal grant that included boys ages 13 – 18 in a teen pregnancy prevention program. This pilot program will target certain areas in Memphis, beginning with North Memphis. All three entities agree that the problem does not begin nor end in Frayser High School exclusively. They believe that this is a countywide problem. The Urban Child Institute recently published its Data Book 2010 The State of Children in Memphis and Shelby County. In 2002 the birth rate per 1,000 females age 10 to 19 for black females in Shelby County was 38.3 per thousand, but increased dramatically to 62.6 per thousand in 2008, and increase of 63% and for white females in Shelby County, there was a 19% increase over the same period of time, 19.2 per thousand to 22.8 per thousand. In 2010, more than 2,100 girls ages 10 to 19 gave birth in Shelby County. Researchers say Shelby County’s teen pregnancy rate is 25% higher than New Orleans and twice of Louisville, Kentucky. Memphis City School Board Member Tomeka Hart says that the school board needs to reevaluate the sex education curriculum to find out if it is working. “Maybe what we are doing now is not the best way to teach students.” “We have a curriculum in place that seems to be comprehensive but we don’t know if it’s being implemented district wide,” said Martavius Jones, a school board member. The Memphis City School Board members are worried that they really don’t know what is being taught in the “Family Life” curriculum, which is abstinence, based, and has ordered Superintendent Kriner Cash to ensure all MCS teachers are indeed following the current school curriculum while statistical data is being founded and evaluated. The teen pregnancy issue is nothing new in Memphis and Shelby County, however the trend seems to be escalating rather than decreasing or even remaining the same. I think while we are launching programs and educating students about sex and its affects, parental education and involvement is an absolute necessity. Foundational thoughts and truths should be taught at home. We need to make sure that parents are accountable to their kids. I am with the old saying that it takes a village to raise a child. Tonya Davidson

Uninsured Motorist In Tennessee

Uninsured Motorist in Tennessee Uninsured motorist in Tennessee and any other state is a very important need. Everyone should have auto insurance if you own a vehicle. According to a recent Insurance Research Council nationwide study if someone is injured in an automobile accident, the chances are 1 in 7 that the at-faultdriver is uninsured. In Tennessee, the estimate3d percentage of uninsured motorist is 21%. www.tennlawblog.com/dan-berexas-tennessee_law/unsured-motorist-coverage.html There are so many benefits to having uninsured motorist coverage. This coverage is designed to protect a driver in the event that they are in an accident and the other party's insurance policy is not able to cover part or all expenses. Many states do require that you have insurance for your car however it is not mandatory that you have uninsured mototist coverage. In Tennessee, the determination of issues concerning uninsured motyorist coverage is goverened by a combination of statues, law of contracts and common law presedent. The Tennessee Legislature has set out various statues that deal with this type of coverage. See Tenn Codd Ann 56-7-1206. Contract interpretation is required, because technology an insurance polkicy is a contract between the insurer and insured. Generally, Tennessee courts will interpret the policy within the confines of its plain and ordinary meaning, unless there is some proof of fraud or mistake at the time of the creation of the agreement. Because the unsurer drafts the p9olicy, any ambiguity within the policy will be likely held against it. Common law comes to play,l as well because legal issues involving negligence, fault and causation generlly arise in uninsured motorist matters.

Improving Education

Anika Hampton..."Education is the key to success". This motto is something you will hear throughout high school. " Every student college bound" is another motto known throughout schools and is frequently used by principals and staff members. These mottos normally represent goals and values of the schools. The school system is not living up to the parent's expectation. Of course parents have to be concerned about a child's education and also do their part to make this process a success. Unfortunately, According to The Commercial Appeal, May 2010 the school board approved $48.3 million in cuts to what is now an $888 million budget, sparing it to having to close schools and cancel text books order, but forcing it to cut jobs and mandate that every employee take two days of unpaid leave. The biggest saving, $13.8 million, came from cutting staff, staff that interact with families, monior in-school suspension areas and deal with behavior problems. This issue concerns me because how can students suceed academically if the schools are overcrowded and the city is cutting back on teachers. There are many plans in work that will supposedly better schools academically, but how will these plans be successful if the city keeps cutting back. One teacher is only assigned to so many students, which is sometimes still ineffective because that one teacher does not have the ability to meet the individual needs of all the students. I want my son to learn all that he can learn while he is in school. I do not want him to go to college not knowing things like how to write a professional paper. When students are sent off to college, they should be academically ready. Improving education starts within the family structure. It begins with the family's value and expectation of their child. How parents raise their children is vital. Teachers have to be patient with kids when trying to educate them. Some students need one on one interaction and encouragement from both the parent and the teacher. The resources have to be available for students when they need them. No student should have to go to school without school books. Taking baby steps will eventually improve education if everyone works together.

Nashville MPO Scoring Matrix

Background: The federal government gives billions of dollars every year for transportation projects. Each state receives funding for projects within the state and to act as the finance company for some rural areas, counties and local governments. In Tennessee, there are 5 primary markets and several smaller ones. The primary markets are the Tri-city area of eastern Tennessee, Knoxville, Chattanooga, Nashville and Memphis. Each of these area has a Metropolitan Planning Organization or MPO for short. The MPO acts as a broker for the federal funds distributed within its geographic area. As an example, the Nashville Area MPO manages the funding for Sumner, Wilson, Davidson, Rutherford, Williamson and parts of Robertson and Maury Counties. This area includes Nashville, Murfreesboro, Franklin, and several other smaller cities. The Nashville Area MPO also manages funds for several transit agencies such as RTA, MTA and the Franklin Transit Authority. Within the MPO there are two committees. The Technical Coordinating Committee. (TCC) and the Executive Committee. The TCC is made up by a single staff member from each member community. The Executive Committee is usually the Mayor, or a designee of the highest ranking elected official from each member agency. Every five years the member communities served by the MPO come together and submit transportation projects to the MPO that will span the next 25 years. In 2010 the Nashville Area MPO request projects for the 2035 Regional Tranportation Plan. (RTP) This RTP indicates all the major roadway, transit, Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) project as well as greenways, bike paths and sidewalks in which a member agency would like to receive funding. The projects are divided into near, medium and long term projects are are assigned, in the 2035 RTP, a 2015 Horizon year for the near term projects and a 2035 Horizon year for the long term projects. This indicates the year we members anticipate engineering and construction are planned. Once a project is accepted onto the RTP it waits for funding to become available in a Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) TIPs run for three fiscal years and are limited in what they provide funding for. Most project must have what is called a local match. Typically funding is allocated at a 80/20 ratio, with the federal part at 80% and the local match at 20%. This indicates a commitment to the success of the project. Those agencies that can meet the local match then get onto a short list to be prioritized. The MPO then prioritizes the projects based on a scoring matrix that includes as one of the criterion “Local Agency's Highest Priority Project.” Others include specific design of the roadway and whether it includes ITS, transit stops, bike lanes and sidewalks along with many others. The Concern: My concern is that I am the TCC member for the City of Franklin, TN. I have served on the MPO's TCC since 2006 and I drafted a list of projects for the 2035 RTP that totaled $565,000,000.00. Now, in all fairness the Tennessee Department of Transportation was going to manage just about half of that total, but we have asked for nearly $290,000,000 in projects over the next 25 years. Most significant in the list I submitted was the completion of State Route 397 or Mack Hatcher Memorial Parkway in Franklin. The problem is that although it is Franklin's Highest Priority project, it does not score well in the scoring matrix. Franklin's population and commercial interests have blossomed in the past 5 years. New employment centers such as Nissan World Headquarters and Verizon Wireless have brought nearly 5,000 additional jobs to Franklin. The need for the roadway has been established over the past 10 years but some of the scoring is tilted towards established corridors rather than new roadways. Why?: The 3 sections of this roadway are crucial to the traffic congestion management for the City which also effects air quality and peak travel time excesses that help place Nashville as the #1 City in the country for the longest peak travel time. Intended Outcomes: It is my intent to have a higher score associated with multiple agencies in support of a project. The vary nature of the MPO promotes a regional approach to project implementation. Cooperative efforts between member agencies epitomizes that intent. The best outcome would be a revamp of the scoring matrix, lesser successes could be an improvement in the scoring matrix for regional coordination.

The EEOC Handling of Complaints of Racial Discrimination

As an African American who has repeatedly been subjected to disparate treatment in employment situations because of my race, I have grave concerns regarding the handling of complaints of racial discrimination by the Equal Employment Opportunities Commission (EEOC), and I would like to see their processes improved. The areas of employment that are allegedly protected by the EEOC from racial discrimination (as well as other types of discrimination identified in Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964) are delineated at the EEOC website at http://www.eeoc.gov/facts/fs-race.html. They include recruitment, hiring, advancement, compensation, terms and conditions of employment, privileges, harassment, retaliation, segregation of employees, and pre-employment inquiries and requirements. Although the Commission appears to have far-reaching regulatory authority, their investigative and enforcement practices have done little or nothing to deter employment discrimination. Unfortunately, the process they delineated on their website for handling complaints brought to them by individuals (which can be found at http://www.eeoc.gov/employees/process.cfm) is not the reality of what typically happens with EEOC. Here they allege that “How [they] investigate a charge depends on the facts of the case and the kinds of information [they] need to gather. In some cases, [they] visit the employer to hold interviews and gather documents. In other cases, [they] interview witnesses over the phone and ask for documents by mail.” What they fail to mention is that the majority of their investigations appear to take the following course: they have the complainant come to their office to file a written complaint; the complainant tells an EEOC staff person their entire horrible story of racial discrimination on the job and presents them with written documentation to support some, if not all, of their assertions against the employer; the EEOC staff person prepares a shorthand version of the complaint (usually leaving out critical details that provide a legal basis for a complaint of discrimination), convinces the complainant that all of the details are not important at that juncture, and then gets the complainant to sign the ridiculously abbreviated version of their complaint; an EEOC staff person contacts the employer to inform him that a complaint has been filed against him and requests that he respond; they frequently give him numerous extensions of time in which to respond, because the employer indicates that he is too busy to respond within the original timeframe allowed; when the employer finally responds and indicates he did nothing wrong, the EEOC staff person makes a determination that they cannot prove discrimination, the case is closed, and the complainant is issued a Right to Sue Letter, giving him/her permission to hire an attorney and handle it on their own. What a joke! I am not the only person to whom this has happened. Practically everyone I have spoken with has indicated that they received the same shoddy treatment. There is never any evidence that EEOC actually conducted an investigation unless, of course, you happen to be part of a high profile case over which they think they can garner some media attention and a few “atta boys” for doing their job. Although there are no accurate statistics to prove how many legitimate complaints of racial discrimination are taken to the EEOC every year and subsequently dismissed at the employer’s request and/or insistence without an actual investigation, there are statistics that would lead a reasonable person to conclude that the number is high. According to the law blog at http://blogs.wsj.com/law/2011/01/12/good-news-for-employment-lawyers-bias-claims-way-up/, Melanie Trottman, from The Wall Street Journal, reported for fiscal year 2010 that “The number of charges filed with the EEOC rose to nearly 100,000, up 7% from the year-earlier period and 21% from fiscal 2007.” That same site indicates that “Michael Burkhardt, a partner at Morgan Lewis & Bockius in Philadelphia, noted that the percentage of charges determined to have a reasonable cause has hovered around 5% for the past several years." That same site also quotes EEOC spokeswoman, Justine Lisser as saying that “retaliation is easier to prove” than discrimination. Although all of the discrimination cases filed were probably not racial discrimination complaints, I think it would be reasonable to conclude that most of them were. If EEOC is only there to take on the easy cases, then most racial minorities who are the object of employment discrimination will simply be on their own. I would like to see that scenario change, and I would like to see EEOC provide equal representation to all employees who come to them with legitimate complaints. That can be accomplished through actual investigations as opposed to cursory reviews. Further, their website (http://www.eeoc.gov/employees/process.cfm) appears to have actually been designed to give them "wiggle room" to do nothing about these complaints. They have a section entitled “Possible Action After Investigation Completed” in which they indicate that if they don’t find a violation, they will send the complainant a Notice-of-Right-to-Sue. Then, they claim that if they find a violation, they will attempt to get the employer to agree to a settlement. However, if they cannot reach a settlement, they might still decide not to file a lawsuit and put the burden of pursuing the employer right back in the hands of the complainant. To me, that appears to be dereliction of duty. Since it is the duty of EEOC to regulate and enforce Title VII, why do they even have the option of declining to prosecute a case in which they find a violation of the law? There will always be members of the racial majority that dismiss claims of racial discrimination by Blacks by contending that Blacks are simply “playing the race card.” and that there is no legitimate basis for a complaint. To that, I respectfully respond that each complaint needs to be judged on its own merits as opposed to generalizing. After all, it is precisely that type of “generalizing” by the majority that actually leads to discrimination in the first place. EEOC’s lack of consistency in enforcement of the laws against racial discrimination has created an atmosphere of fear, frustration and defeatism among the African American community. It has also created an atmosphere of arrogance and entitlement by employers, where they feel empowered to discriminate against racial minorities to the point of repeat instances of different terms and conditions, disparity in pay based on race, unlawful terminations and even constructive discharge (making the working situation so intolerable that the employee actually resigns). If this country is ever to reach a level of true equality, it is clear that organizations such as the EEOC need to lead the way by demonstrating through enforcement that disparate treatment and anything less than equality is unacceptable.

The Hiring of Illegal Immigrants in Tennessee

I personally don’t see any excuse that an employer in Tennessee could have for hiring illegal immigrants, and I think that employers who knowingly do this should face severe fines and other forms of punishment. We hear that most companies or businesses hire illegal immigrants for jobs that American’s don’t want to do. Well, with unemployment at an all time high, I doubt seriously if you would find a person that was unemployed and looking for work, that would agree with this philosophy. My son was in a carpenter’s union but he couldn't find work in the Knoxville area. There was plenty of construction going on, but the contractor’s were hiring illegal immigrants because they would work for a lot cheaper wages than the trained carpenter, but how can an employer justify this? Some employers hire the illegals over and over again, knowing that they are in this country, and in this state, illegally. With the federal e-Verify system in place, and with it being 99.5% accurate, there is no excuse for an employer to hire someone who is here illegally. No matter what documentation that is given to the potential employer, they are responsible for verifying the documentation through the federal government e-Verify system. Apparently, fake documents are easily accessible to someone who wants to come to the states illegal, and employers should be aware of this fact. When employers become known to the illegal community, they entice more and more illegal’s to come for work. Once in the state, it costs tax payers more and more. If they bring their children, we the tax payer, pay for their schooling. If they need medical attention, we taxpayers pay for the medical expenses. If they break the law, we taxpayers pay to incarcerate them. Most of the money they make goes back to their country, mainly Mexico, and we lose tax revenue, because illegal immigrants do not pay taxes. We American’s must take a stand and if we know of an employer that is hiring illegal immigrants, we must report them. There was a law that went into effect in Tennessee on January 1, 2008, that if a company is caught knowingly hiring illegal immigrants, that company could possible lose their business or be forced to close. I certainly support this law. There are many Tennesseans out of work and the unemployed of this fine state should not have to compete for a job with someone who is here illegally. The average person in Tennessee could not afford work for the low wages that are paid to illegal immigrants. The employer that offers jobs to illegal immigrants sometimes also put the lives of that illegal immigrant at risk. There was a company that was located close to where I live and this company was in the business of clearing of right-a-ways. The owner also owned a storage facility that he rented out storage units to the public. It became alleged that 15 illegal aliens from Mexico were working for this company and they were living in one of the storage units! They drove company vehicles and operated company equipment, but none were supposed to have had legal TN driver’s license. The company was reported, but before anyone came to investigate, suddenly all the Mexican’s were gone, from the job and from the storage unit. Hopefully the owner of this company learned his lesson, but how many other companies do this every day? They hire the illegals to save money, because they will work for so much less money, but the State of Tennessee government needs to make companies pay stiff fines if they get caught, and not just give them a simple slap on the back of the hand. I am in no way against immigration, this country was founded on immigration, but I just want an immigrant who wants to come to America, and who wants to become an American citizen, and who wants to work in Tennessee, to do it legal. Many that have come before them, and many that will come after them, have gone through the proper procedures and taken the appropriate steps to become a legal employee or a legal resident. It is not fair to the people of Tennessee who are unemployed to be overlooked for a job just because it would cost the employer more to hire the legal resident than it would to hire the illegal immigrant. It is estimated that more than 200,000 illegal immigrants are now residing in Tennessee, so the employer who wants to hire cheap labor, has a lot to choose from! http://www.dhs.gov/files/programs/gc_1185221678150.shtm http://www.usimmigrationsupport.org/tennessee.html http://www.ehow.com/list_6694797_tennessee-illegal-immigration-laws.html

Federal Housing

The Federal Government is responsible for many tasks that private industry cannot or will not handle. They may deal with the building of road and bridges or having a strong military. One of the crucial roles of our government is helping those in need. They may range from the single mother, to developmentally disabled, or the elderly. The government has social programs that almost everyone will recognize: Food Stamps, Medicare, and Social Security Income for Disabilities. These programs help meet many of the basic needs for struggling citizens. However, these programs do not ensure that everyone has a roof over their head. While housing programs may not be as familiar to public, they are just as wide spread and important. There are over seven million household that receive some type of housing assistance. Several different Federal Agencies operate housing programs including the Department of Housing and Urban Development, Treasury Department (I.R.S), United Stated Department of Agriculture, and Department of Defense. Housing provided by the Department of Defense is for its civilian and non-civilian employees and family; however, the other agencies are all providing housing for low-income households. These different programs tend to overlap and meet the needs of similar citizens. A single apartment complex can have subsidy from multiple federal agencies. They have to follow regulations from these different agencies, which may not agree with each other, and have many different inspections within the course of a single year. These different federal programs create a huge administrative burden and cost on these properties. The layering of subsidy is inefficient and wasteful. Three of the big federal housing programs cover the same group of citizens in the same manor. Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Section 8 Multifamily program offers to pay a portion of households rent to a private apartments complex owner for agreeing to lease all of their units to low-income residents. http://www.hud.gov/offices/hsg/hsgmulti.cfm United States Department of Agriculture runs a program call Rural Development or more commonly known as farmer homes. http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/rhs/ It provides money for the construction of low-income housing.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LowIncome_Housing_Tax_Credit The final program I will discuss is the Low-income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) program through the Department of Treasury. It offers tax credits to help fund the building or rehabilitation of low-income housing. One property could be built with the help of Rural Development, have Section 8 multifamily to pay for operations, and LIHTC to rehabilitate the property after a number of years of operations. While all of these different types of funding may have been need to keep building, maintain, and redevelop the low-income housing, it creates an administrative nightmare. The federal regulations for the Section 8 Multifamily program alone accounts for three handbooks totaling over 2000 pages of regulations. The Treasury Department has an entire section (42) of the tax code for the regulations of LIHTC program. In addition, Rural Development has its own set of code. These regulations were not development in concert with each other, and these different agencies have little communication. There are many situations for a property to be in compliance with one program will cause them to be out of compliance with a different program. HUD has developed a computer system called Enterprise Income Verification (EIV) system. EIV system accesses data from Social Security Administration and the Department of Health and Human Services. It provides properties information on Social Security, unemployment benefits, employment, and wages. HUD requires the use of this program to verify a tenant is income eligible; however, they ban the use of the EIV system for LIHTC and Rural Development. This creates a catch 22 situation that they cannot be in compliance with all federal programs they are subject too. Properties have to create separate paper work files for each program, and verify each household’s income multiple ways. This is a waste of time and money to ensure that the appropriate people are receiving the help they need. Another waste of time and money are the federal inspections. Each of these programs requires inspection on the physical condition and the administration (paper work) of the property. A property could be subjected to three physical inspections and three administrative reviews within one year. Not only is this a burden on the property, but it is a waste of tax payers tax dollars to send multiple groups out to these properties. The Federal Housing programs help millions of people, but are caught in bureaucracy. These programs need to be evaluated for redundancy to lift administrative burdens and save tax payer money.

Cyber Bullying

Lacey Jones- Cyber bullying is a very serious issue in the United States. It is the use to text message, instant message, social networking, and etc. to harass, threaten, or intimidate other people. With the growth of technology, cyber bullying is becoming more and more common. In fact, cyber bullying has now become worse than traditional bullying because are constantly being harassed by text messages and social networks making the bullying almost impossible to escape. More than 13 million children in the United States have reported being victim of cyber bullying. Cyber bullying victims are almost twice as likely to commit suicide than those who have never experienced cyber bullying. This statistic is extremely shocking to me. I cannot even begin to understand how someone can be so insensitive to another person. One of the most known stories of cyber bullying is the story of Megan Meier who committed suicide three weeks before her 14th birthday. Soon after Megan opened a MySpace account in 2006, she began to receive messages from supposedly a boy named "Josh." The messages were actually being sent by Lori Drew and her daughter using a fake account. Megan found "Josh" attractive and they began to spend a lot of time messaging one another. After a few weeks "Josh" began to send Megan messages saying no one likes her because she was mean to her friends. Megan responded with a message saying "You're the kind of guy a girl would kill herself over." Twenty minutes after the message was sent, Megan was found dead in her bedroom closet where she had hung herself. Several weeks after Megan's death, Megan's parents were informed that Lori Drew and her daughter had created the fake account to mess with Megan and see what Megan really thought about Lori's daughter. At last count in July 2010, 44 states have passed bullying laws and 30 of those states have included laws of electronic forms of harassment. However, there is no federal law against cyber bullying but one has been proposed. The first federal cyber bullying bill, Megan Meier Cyber Bullying Prevention Act has made it to a House committee. The purpose of the bill is to "amend the federal crime code to impose criminal penalties on anyone who transmits in interstate or foreign commerce an intended to coerce, intimidate, harass, or cause substantial emotional distress to another person, using electrionical means to support serve, repeated, and hostile behavior." The bill was referred to the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security but has not been voted on yet. All charges against Megan's harasser, Lori Drew, were later dropped because the law simply did not state anything about cyber bullying. Lori Drew was convicted of violating the MySpace terms of service, but a judge overturned the conviction because it would allow anyone who violated a websites terms of service to be prosecuted. How much more is it going to take before the United States steps up and realizes they need to do something more to make this stop? The Megan Meier Cyber Bullying Prevention act will hold people responsible for their actions. If the Act is passed, cyber bullying will become a federal offense, cyber bullies will be charged and imprisoned for two or more years. I understand that by passing a federal law against cyber bullying, it will cost the country money, but to me its more important that these people be held responsible for what they have done rather than receiving a slap on the wrist. But until federal laws against cyber bullying are put in to action, it is important that parents monitor kids use to technology, as well as teach what to do if they are being bullied.

The Bully Epidemic

Children being bullied has become a huge problem in American society today. It occurs both in school, out of school, and even online. Children of all ages are exposed to it and there seems to be no escape. While I suspect that bullies have existed since the beginning of time, the media has just now caught on so the issue is finally receiving the attention it deserves. This issue needs to be addressed because it is unfair and irresponsible for an adult - whether that be a parent, teacher, or principal, to expect a child to enter into an environment in which they are constantly harassed and singled out on a daily basis. Not only are children forced to exist in these environments for most of the year but they are expected to be relaxed enough in the classroom to learn and thrive. Most people, let alone children are not capable of concentrating on anything else when they are in a defensive mode. Bullying needs to be addressed for the sake of the children on the receiving end as well as for the bullies themselves. Often bullies act the way they do because they have issues of their own and it is easier for them to take out aggression on someone else than to reflect on their own problems. If they are made to feel weak at home by a parent or older sibling then they show their strength at school or in their neighborhood by picking on their peers. As you can imagine, bullies can have a very distracting effect on classrooms making the teachers' jobs that much harder. If standards were set through public policy for the prevention of bullying in American schools, I believe that classrooms would be a much more effective learning environment raising test scores and self-esteem in students simultaniously. This policy could begin by inacting mandatory anti-bullying seminars for teachers, school counselors and principals. These seminars should cover how to identify a bully, how to stop one in their tracks, and how to prevent the situation alltogether. They should also be age-specific for elementary, middle, and high schools. With a government enforced anti-bullying policy in effect for all of America's school systems, classrooms will be a much safer and more effective environment for children academically and personally.

The Growing Trend of Childhood Obesity and the Needed Response of Public School Lunch Programs

The obesity epidemic is an issue that has been gaining awareness in recent years. According to the Centers for Disease Control, childhood obesity has increased about 17% since the period between 1976 and 1980 nationally. The CDC also reports that the southern region has the highest prevalence of obesity, which includes adults also. The concerns surrounding obesity are health risks and chronic disease, including those such as Type 2 diabetes. Type 2 diabetes has long been regarded as an adult disease. However, in recent years the incidence of Type 2 diabetes in children has been rising. This has implications for much larger issues. Chronic disease is a strain on the individual as well as the health care system. Prevention of such health conditions should be considered a hot topic. One avenue of addressing a portion of the issue of obesity in children is the National School Lunch and Breakfast Program. In December of 2010, President Obama signed a child nutrition reauthorization bill, entitled the Healthy, Hunger-free Kids Act (The School Nutrition Association). This Act will allow schools to do many things to improve school lunches, including establishing nutritional standards for foods served to children, provide funding for 'Farm-to-School' programs, and increase the Federal reimbursement for lunches (Healthy, Hunger-free Kids Act, 2010). Currently, Tennessee has implemented a program that schools can choose to use, which requires the provision of fresh fruits and vegetables to school children (The Tennessee State Department of Education). When considering the obesity trends for the United States it would seem that this would be a mandated program for all schools in Tennessee. If the question is reimbursement, then President Obama has answered that for the school system. The basic concept of weight is easily understood. Consuming more calories than you burn causes weight gain. The trouble is not the formula. The trouble is with the options. Given the option would a child choose an apple or applesauce with added corn syrup sweeteners? Would they choose a grilled chicken breast on a whole wheat bun or processed, modified chicken nuggets? We know the answer to that. At my home there is not a second option for dinner. I believe in the old saying 'you are what you eat.' My children would prefer a happy meal over a mommy meal any day. The dilemma suggested by my mother,who is an elementary school teacher, is that the children won't eat healthy foods. I suppose we should just throw our hands in the air and give in to chronic disease that will shorten the lives of many of the children most at risk. Many studies regarding school lunch programs have been published. Many schools are sucessfully elevating standard to really provide nutrition. Experts tell us that improving eating habits is necessary for the wellness of children, yet many are lagging behind. Reconstructing the food pyramid on a poster is not sufficient action for reconstructing the food pyramid of American family dinner tables. This is a larger issue that involves education for everyone. Who wants to have a chronic disease? Society can answer this issue by mandating nutritional standards for all schools. This should include the removal of all low nutritional, high calorie foods. Having this mandate would mean that skilled program planners would need to provide a feasible way to implement this policy, but it can be done. In addition, we should be educating our children about the true importance of nutrition. We need to develop creative ways to interest children in nutrition and wellness. We need to develop programs and policy that delivers real nutrition to our children, even if this means taking stand against mega corporations that stand to lose a profit from healthier choices. Who knows we may have a healthier America one day.

We've got a goal, let's get a plan

During the President's State of the Union Address on Tuesday January 25th, he said the future of America's jobs would require higher education. He went on to say, "America has fallen to ninth in the proportion of young people with a college degree." I admire the goal that higher education must be within the reach of every American, that by 2020 the President hopes America will be in the top ranked spot for college graduates. This is a great goal, but how are we going to get there? The $10,000 tax credit for four years is a great step, but only if the cost of tuition remains stable. The Federal Student Aid, an office of the U.S Department of Higher Education, "ensures that all eligible individuals can benefit from federal assistance for education beyond high school" (federalstudenaid.edu.gov). This is where I have personally experienced a problem...to be eligible for federal aid, the figure is based off your Expected Family Contribution (EFC). I have been considered a dependent, even though I moved out before I was eighteen because my parent's house was foreclosed on. My parents have had to put their information on my FASFA, even though my mother has been unemployed since 2007 and my father has worked in a significantly lower position, to just have a job, since he was laid off for sixteen months. Yet somehow the EFC formula calculated my parents, that don't even have their own place to live, as contributing over $15,000 a year towards my education. My parents have not been able to help me, and despite countless communication to the school, my state legislation, and even the federal government I have not been heard. I think it is wonderful, the idea of the federal government helping support higher education endeavors. I just think as in the words of our President, "anything can be improved." We must make sure tuition costs are stable, that we understand private funding is decreasing and more students are expected to enroll, we must take strides to make sure the formulas for distributing funds don't cause more harm than good, and make sure we are making constant improvements to make the higher education system better for the people of the United States of America.

Metal detectors should be used daily in schools

Gun usage in the schools are starting to become a major concern. There has been an increase in school violence and the people in the community are starting to worry about their kids safety. Everyday more and more weapons have been found in schools and the safey of our children has been put in jeopardy. The majority of the schools in the United States do not use metal detectors on a daily basis. There hasn't been a proven number of schools using metal detectors, but the use of etal detectors on a daily basis has been limited to large urban schools with a history of weapon related issues. Using metal detectors on a day to day basis in schools are not mandatory but an option. So the question that still remains, are metal detectors in school necessary and should all school use metal detectors to improve school safety. Parents the media and other caring citizen are starting to have concerns aouth the safety of their children while they are at school. Most schools don't even consider the use of metal detectors until after high-profile incidents of school violence, such as school shootings or stabbing occur. What happened to prevention and the safety of our kids while they are at school? Why should a parent, sibling, or friend loose a love one before schools take the necessary precaution to protect their students. Its understandable that parents want some type of assurance that when they send their children to school their children will be safe. The fact that the school is using metal detector will some what put their minds at ease. The understand that metal detectors will not stop school violence a 100% but the metal detectors will help reduce some of the violence. Children most often spend the majority of their day at school. They not only come to school to learn but they also spend time wth their friends and to socialize. If students as well as the staff members don't feel safe at school, their education will also suffer. School should be considered a safety nest for our children and they shouldn't have to worry about life and death while they are at schhol. Metal detectors can really be effective in preventing some of the school violence that's happenening today. These devices helps to reduce the amount of knives and firearms that kids are bringing into the school building. In a study it was proven that students who attended a school that used metal detectors daily were half as likely to carry a gun, knife, or any other weapon to school as students who attended schools without metal detectors. Metal detectors can be a very valuable item to use inschools to help reduce the school violence. School violence has taken over the school and its up to the community to step up and do what's most important, make our children's safety our number one priority.

TN Child Support Enforcement

Child Support Enforcement for the State of Tennessee, it is sometimes hard to figure out whom to go to for help. Some things the county in which the child support was award has jurisdiction except if you have it put in your decree that you want another county to handle it. Then you have the State of Tennessee Department of Human Services that have a department that is supposes to help you with collecting child support. I know Shelby County has a company that they use to help collect child support. Though it seems that Shelby County is starting to figure out that the company is not doing such a great job at collecting it. I guess if you compare Memphis to some other counties that they are doing a decent job. When I started getting child support my divorce was in another county my lawyer had it put in the child custody agreement that Shelby County Courts were to oversee any problems or changes in child support because they had a better track record than the county I was divorced in. In The Daily News, February 8th issue they are reporting that child support payment have dropped by about 13 million dollar in the last half of 2009 compared to the last half of 2008. We must take into account the recession that is going on and that some of this is caused by parents without jobs or now working jobs that don’t pay as much. Tennessee 1996 implemented a law that would allow the delinquent parents to have their driver license, professional license, and hunting and fishing license to be revoked. In September, of 2000 they reported that they mailed notices to 11,000 parents that were delinquent on their child support. In November they ended up revoking driver licenses of approximately 1,300 for non-payment. Of those revoked during these round 31% was Shelby County. This was reportedly the highest number since the program started. The major of these were men as about 90% of the delinquent parents are men. Some people will things are a little strange like revoking the privilege to hunt in the State of Tennessee. Unless something has change I don’t think Tennessee talks to Mississippi or Arkansas, but I guess doing this is better than what they had been doing. I do think Tennessee has made some improvements to collecting child support, but as with most Government agency they are slow to react to changing situations as with dealing with the effects of the recession and unemployment and collection of child support.

Uninsured Motorist

Is anyone outraged about the uninsured motorists in Tennessee?  In our day and age, automobile insurance is a necessity, not a luxury.  If you drive, get insured!  There are too many motorists driving around without automobile coverage.  This causes motorist with insurance to pay the price for uninsured motorist.  Automobile insurance is not enforced in the state of Tennessee.  If you are pulled over for a traffic violation you’re asked for license, registration and proof of insurance.  If you do not have proof of insurance the only thing that may happen is that you are given a citation.  This needs to change!  In the state of Georgia if you are stopped and you do not have proof of insurance you got to JAIL.  I think if Tennessee would become stricter on their insurance laws more people would become insured and stay insured.  When someone purchases an automobile it is required that insurance is purchased in order to take it off the lot, but once you leave if you do not pay it the next month the insurance is canceled and people continue to drive around uninsured.  Uninsured and underinsured motorist are both optional in Tennessee. The idea behind uninsured motorist insurance is to protect the persons who do have insurance from drivers who do not have liability insurance. If the consumer (Joe) injures another driver (Bob), and Bob doesn’t have insurance, Joe’s insurance carrier pays for Bob’s injuries. However, if Bob who is uninsured hits Joe and Joe suffers serious injuries?  More than likely, Joe is not going to recover a dime from Bob.  So when Joe pays his premium each month for the $25,000 liability policy, he is also getting the protection of uninsured motorist coverage.  In this case the responsible party Joe has to pay for irresponsible drivers like Bob.  An example of underinsured motorist would be responsible Joe is insured with an insurance policy with limits of $100,000 with the same amount of uninsured motorist coverage $100,000.  When Joe becomes involved in an accident with another driver (Susan) who is insured but she only has $50,000 of liability coverage.  In this case Susan is responsible for causing the accident.  Joe’s damages consisted of $75,000, which leaves Joe’s insurance company to pay the remaining $25,000 because Susan is underinsured.  The only way for Joe to recovery any of his losses is to sue the uninsured and underinsured motorists.  If Joe sues and wins he still may never receive a dime from either motorist.  Why should responsible Joe have to pay for irresponsible motorists in Tennessee?  Why does it appear that policies are made to protect the people who do not follow the policies?  I’m not sure about how you feel but I am tired of paying insurance premiums to protect myself from irresponsible motorists.

Gun rights for felons.

The second amendment of the United States' constitution in the section of the United States Bill of Rights, adopted on December 15, 1791 states that it is the right for all American citizen to bear arms. That is the legal right of every american citizen. In fact, this is the way our forfathers have put it: " A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed." However, Federal law prohibates anyone convicted of a crime punishable by a year or more of imprisonment to possess, handle and even transport a firearm. This provision of the law; 18 U.S.C. 922(g) strictly prohibates any felon to own a firearm in and/or outside his/ her residence. To that provision, are some exceptions. I think in my opinion that non violent offenders should not have their second amendment right stripped away from them. We live in the United State, where there is a gun on almost every block, legaly or not. Therefor, I believe non vio;ent offenders should keep the right to bear arms after paying their debt to our dear society. I also believe that the provision is broad and overly narrow: I will say that because, the general proscription of the section 922(g) is not limited to just felons; by its trems, the provision forbides not jsut felons but anyone convicted of a crime punishable by an imprisonment for a term exceeding one year to own a firearm or ammunition whether the crime is a felony or not. Also section 921(a)(20)(B) limits the impact of this provision on misdemeanors by defining the punishment. In fact let's not forget that the 18 U.S.C. 921(a)(20)(A) expressly exempts certain white collar felonies such as antitrust or unfair trade practices. In my opinion, this second amendment provision should be revised and the interpretation change.

Mid-South Fairgrounds Re-development- a sentimental view

The Mid-South Fairgrounds is a site in Memphis that is packed with historical and sentimental value. However, a lot of the fun and allure of the fairgrounds has gone away, because of the shape that it is in at the present time. Several of its wonderful buildings have been abandoned and the parking lots and streets have been left unattended for years causing the area to look and feel outdated. But the fairgrounds I know were full of memories of innocent times when I was young and had my whole life in front of me. I want to propose a revitalization to this area so future generations can enjoy all the fun and history that the Mid-South Fairgrounds can give. Some of the fondest memories I can remember are of when the Fair came to town. My family and I would go to the Mid-South Fairgrounds every year just to visit, ride the fair rides, and to eat the wonderful food. My favorite fair food is the Philly cheese-steak sandwich, I would usually eat two or three of those every trip we made to the fair. My Mom had to get a famous fair corndog and she would be set for the whole year food-wise, until the next fair of course. I would spend all of my money and most of my parents playing all of the games and come away with my 2 dollar stuffed animal that I won. But the fair has moved on to another location and is no longer at the fairgrounds. All that remains in its place is an empty parking lot and some old decaying buildings. The Mid-South Fairgrounds need to be re-developed so that I can bring my own family back there again, so we can start making our own fond memories. But bringing the Fair back to town is not the only reason to re-develop the fairgrounds, it is such a historic part of our beloved city that has just gone to waste. Something should be done to revamp this whole area. So much history is being left to rot away like some unwanted garbage. For instance, the Mid-South Coliseum is one such place full of history and nostalgia. So many famous bands performed concerts there that it could be a music hall of fame in itself. Bands like The Beetles and Elvis Pressley performed on this historic stage on any given night. I remember going to wrestling matches at the Coliseum and seeing wrestlers like Hulk Hogan and Jerry " The King" Lawler battling it out in the "squared circle." Before Memphis had the Memphis Grizzlies NBA team, professional basketball was a part of the history of Memphis. The old ABA team, the Memphis Pros played professionally at the Coliseum and called it home. A couple of years during the 70s, the Coliseum held the ABA championship. And of course the Memphis State Tiger basketball team called it home for decades until the Pyramid came along. Legendary Memphis basketball players like Larry Finch and Keith Lee held the city in awe as they flashed their greatness on the basketball court. The heart of the Mid-South Fairgrounds needs to be kept in tact, I propose a complete renovation of the Coliseum. It should be brought up to code and made handicap accessible. The City of Memphis would then be able to bring back concerts to the area and boost the economy of this area of Memphis. The next thing I would propose is to create a new football stadium in this area. To make room for the stadium, they could take down Tim McCarver Stadium which is not being used and use that space plus the parking lot to put a new stadium in. Once the new stadium has been built, the old Liberty Bowl stadium can be taken down, and more parking could be put in for the Coliseum and the new stadium. I think the re-development of the Mid-South Fairgrounds should be a priority for the city government. Except for a few football games a year, the fairgrounds is wasted space. Gone are the days of concerts and the annual Fair. They have shipped out to new, updated venues. The city council has to make sure that they renovate this site to be used again in the future. If not the Fair, at least some new performing arts. I'm sure there are people in this city like me that would love some more culture in their lives and do not want to travel downtown to find it. If you would like to learn about other proposals for the Mid-South Fairgrounds, you can find it here http://midsouthfairgrounds.org/index.html

Foreclosures.....is there an end in sight?

It seems these days that everyone is talking about foreclosures. You can’t turn on the news without hearing about the rise in home foreclosures or the drop in the housing market. I didn’t pay much attention to it because I do not own my own home. Home foreclosures became a topic I learned very quickly when I got a job in a law office that handled bankruptcy and foreclosures for the banks. Yes, the banks, the evil institutions that the tax payers have to keep bailing out on a seemingly regular basis. One cannot realize the sheer magnitude of home foreclosures until you spend one day answering phones in a law office that forecloses on homes. It is heart breaking at times and the urge to become bitter is overwhelming. A lot of people got into this mess because they bought a home with an adjustable rate mortgage. For those that don’t know what that is, here’s a quick lesson. Basically you start out with a very small interest rate and then suddenly after 6-8 months, even a year, the interest rate explodes and your $600 a month house payment suddenly becomes $2000 a month. Other people lose their homes due to a job loss, illness, or other “life happens” moment. I’ve heard stories about people losing their job, having cancer, getting divorced or just getting in way over their head. For some people it is a relief to have their home taken away, for others it is devastating. When things go bad for a large number of people the government seems to step in and try to fix it. I use the term fix lightly. Right now in the state of Tennessee there is a law that was recently passed that basically makes the bank and/or firm handling the foreclosure give the mortgagor 60 days notice before they begin the foreclosure process. What that really means is that the bank and/or law office can’t set a date to sell your house on the courthouse steps for 60 days. The government has also taken action in encouraging loan modification companies. These are the people who you give your last $1000 and take their word that they will negotiate with your bank for a new rate and lower payments. There is a government website that promotes these loan modification companies. Here’s the problem: they are not regulated. No one is watching over these companies and quite a few of them have taken the money and ran. People call me to find out that their home was sold at auction and that the loan modification company took their money and they are now left with no money and no home. Neither one of these “government” solutions seem to be working. A lot of people don’t know that the bank WANTS you to keep your home and most times will work out a loan modification with you directly. The media and government are still painting the banks as being the bad guys. Is there a way to fix foreclosures?? At first I thought so but after this week I’m starting to wonder. A typical week at the firm brings in roughly 50 foreclosure referrals. This week I had right around 300 referrals cross my desk. Maybe there isn’t an end in sight. There isn’t really a win-win situation. The banks need their money and it seems that the people who go into foreclosure don’t have any money. The banks can’t certainly say “Oh well, maybe next month” or “ Don’t worry about it, we don’t need the money”. Hopefully we will hit bottom soon and things will start to go up. Will foreclosures ever end?? Probably not. Will they be this severe forever?? Let’s hope not.

Are red-light camera's worth the costs?

I'm wondering the the $30K/month to have six "red-light" cameras in the city of Murfreesboro, TN has been paying for itself. Paying off how? The monthly expense to city taxpayers? Is it cutting down on major accidents by those who think a yellow light means punch the accelerator? Although I haven't been caught, I must say that I go a lot slower approaching a traffic light, even if it is green and yes, my heart races when I slip up and do happen to 'gun it' at yellow, but those instances are becoming less frequent. The number of 'rear -enders' has increased though, so depending on your definition of 'major accident', I wonder if it's paying off. There have been lawsuits filed and won in our country that this is an 'illegal' practice as the picture taken is of the license plate and not the driver, so who's to say that it was me or you driving your car. Like a lot of things in life, it does have it's pro's and con's, what say you?

The Imam and the 9/11 Truther

The Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf is the man behind the "Ground Zero" Mosque. On 9/13 Bill O' Reilly broke the news on his show that the Imam has ties with Dr. Faiz Khan, a 9/11 Truther. A 9/11 Truther does not believe that we were attacked by terrorist and radical Islamists, they believe our government orchestrated the whole thing. This association between the Imam and Dr. Faiz Khan was a partnership in the American Society for the Advancement of Muslims. http://www.mediaite.com/tv/bernie-goldberg-tells-bill-oreilly-why-liberals-like-the-ground-zero-mosque The New York Post had this information and was publishing the article on 9/14/2010. This is a bad partnership , because Dr. Faiz Khan is so active in the 9/11 Truther organizations. The Imam is claiming to be a moderate and on a peaceful mission buliding this mosque , but at this location and being partners with a 9/11 Truther , that claims a government conspiracy, makes things seem awfully suspicious as to the intentions of this mosque in that location. http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/manhattan/imam_pal_is_nut_gPPtzFwetyaUlE3u4P4cKI The New York post had background information on Dr. Faiz Khan that lead to this discovery. Khan serves on the advisory of Muslims for 9/11 Truth and is also founder of the Muslim-Jewish Christian Alliance, for 9/11 Truth (MUJCA). On MUJCA's website , Khan wrote "the inescapable fact (is) that 9/11 was an inside job." He then states that 9/11 was a criminal mission not coming from 'militant Islam', although ' militant Islamic networks may have played a partial role. He suggests that their role may have been as a scapegoat. How could a moderate peace loving American ssociate such as, Iama Feisal Abdul Rauf, be partners with such an off kilter conspiracy theorist such as Dr. Faiz Khan? What does this make Americans think about the source of the "ground zero" mosque and its true intentions? Guilt by association is assumed when one has such ties. Do we really want a center for Muslim worship next to ground zero with such ties to an absurdly delusional person such as Dr. Faiz Khan? I say not. I did a research paper on the 9/11 conspiracy theorist and some of their cliams last semester. It is shocking to think that people actually believe that this is true. I am going to include this paper in this blog so that you can see the craziness that these preach daily. Module 7 Research Paper Refuting The 911 Conspiracy Theory July 17, 2010 Honei Macy Bowers ENTC 3030 Professor Jamie Pacton Introduction The main proposal by the 911 conspiracy theorists is that the Islamic Terrorists were pawns in a far more sinister plot that includes the United States highest official who aim to establish global socialist police state. (1) I intend to refutiate this proposal through highlighting the three main "smoking guns" that the 911 conspiracy theorists put forth as evidence of their claims , exposing the true nature of these events of this horrible tragedy. (2) The three "smoking guns" are as follows; thermite was used in demolition of the World Trade Centers as the plane attacks occurred, the National Institute of Science and Technology are covering up the Federal Governments involvement in the planning and execution of the attacks of September 11, 2001, and that President George W. Bush not only knew about the attacks but also had been in on the planning and its intended outcome. (1) Body 911 conspiracy theorists are convinced that thermite was present at the World Trade Centers, which is a chemical used for large demolitions. (1) "The major smoking gun here is the molten iron that was being dug out of the rubble over a month after the event. The only plausible scientific explanation for that is that thermite was involved, residues of which were also found in the rubble and dust. Thermite is used in controlled demolitions- planted ahead of time and controlled at the time of demolition.... The reason the government is not addressing this issue is because they were in on the execution of this attack." (Sterling D. Allan, September 12,2008) (1) The main evidences of the conspiracy theorists proposal of the thermite being used at the World trade Centers is that of yellow smoke being present, traces of thermite found in the rubble, and molten iron being dug out of the rubble and dust over a month after the event. (1) The yellow smoke and residue was left behind by the ironworker when cutting the columns at an angle so that they would fall in a certain direction during cleanup. No traces of thermite have ever been proven to be found in the aftermath of the World Trade Center destruction. (2) Thermite , generally, makes an ugly hole with molten drips/blobs. It does not make any clean cuts due to its chaotic burning pattern. (2) You would need tons of thermite to blow up one massive core column. (2). The National Institute of Science and Technology (NIST) is the next target of the 911 conspiracy theorists claim in the government cover up. (1) "NIST's role in 9/11 cover-up , established to be a pillar of scientific accuracy, the NIST has prostituted itself in the case of its role in helping the elements of the U.S. government to cover their tracks of culpability in the 9/11 tragedy." (1) According to the theorists, the NIST has become party to the 9/11 cover up, falsifying information, cooking the data, and otherwise acting in disregard to the ethics of science it is supposed to uphold and epitomize as the official body for the United States establishing standards of measurement. (1) " NIST is supposed to be the final word on measurement accuracy, but in the case of 9/11, they have prostituted themselves at the hands of their federal masters who are likewise involved in the cover up. they have thus become another tool in helping to establish a world socialist dictatorship under the control of a sinister, insider elite." (1) On August 2008, NIST published their findings that the World trade Center buildings came down "due to fire alone". Contrary to the Federal Government o official story supported by the NIST report, the 911 conspiracy theorists believe many facts point to controlled demolition of the World trade Center buildings 1,2, and 7. (1) On October 19, 2004 the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) released the latest findings from their World trade Center investigation. The NIST World Trade Center investigations goal is to recommend improvements in the way people design, construct, maintain and use buildings, especially high rises. (3) The report mainly contained: 1) The leading hypotheses for the collapse of WTC 1 and 2- chronological sequence of major collapse events. 2) Time delay between the collapses of the WTC towers explained WTC 103 minutes nearly twice as long as WTC 2. 3) Post-impact capabilities of the WTC towers assessed- demand to capacity ratios. 4) Fire-induced core column shortening detected. 5) First responder command and control was hampered-inadequate information dispersed. The assessments and evaluations of the buildings structural integrity were assessed post- impact. (3) The third and final aspect of the 911 conspiracy theorists proposal was that President Bush had a role and prior knowledge of the September 11 attacks . (1) A petition was filed against George W. Bush charged with high treason for complicity in the attack of 911 (Oct 14, 2003 by Sterling D. Allan). (1) The theorists believe that George W. Bush not only knew in advance , but had been in on its planning and its intended outcome. (1) "I was thinking about what it meant for America to be under attack. It was an amazing thought." President Bush recalling what he was thinking about while sitting with the children at Booker Elementary . (Oct. 2001, California). (1) Long before 9/11/01 the white House debated taking the fight to al-Qaeda. By the time they decided, it was too late. The transition between the Clinton administration and his National Security Advisor, Sandy Berger and the Bush administration and his new National Security Advisor, Condaleeza Rice proved very costly to the communication of the intelligence gathered in the years before concerning terrorism. (4) An aggressive plan to fight al-Qaeda was in the works at the end of 2000, especially fueled by the attack in Yemen on October 12, 2000. Unfortunately the strategy was shelved for the next administration to deal with and the Bush administration was in the midst of reevaluating when the September 11, 2001 attacks took place. (4) Conclusion Nobody predicted September 11th, how and when the attacks would come. The bureaucrats in Washington did know that a major terrorist attack against American interests was imminent.(4) The 911 conspiracy theorists believed that evidence shows that thermite was used for demolition of the World Trade Centers, the NIST is covering up the Federal Government involvement in the attacks, and President George W. Bush knew of the attack in advance and had been planning on its intended outcome. From all research and facts uncovered concerning the September 11, 2001 ; thermite was not present or evidenced in the rubble of the World Trade Centers, the National Institute of Science and Technology reports on the 911 tragedy are valid, and President George W. Bush had no prior knowledge and/or involvement in the planning of the September 11, 2001 attacks on the World trade Centers. (4) References (1) Patriot Saints for the Kingdom of God. "911 Conspiracy" http://patriotsaints.com/News/911/Conspiracy (2) Shagster, Scott S., and David B. Benson."Debunking 911 Conspiracy Theories, Exploding the Myths" http://ww.debunking911.com/thermite.htm (3) National Institute of Standards and Technology. "NIST's Role in 911 Conspiracy" http://www.nist.gov/index.html (4) Time Magazine."Before September 11th. The Secret History. They Had a Plan" http://www.time.com/time/covers/1101020812/story.html

Gun Control

Currently the Obama administration is trying to implement more gun control polices to Congress in order to make owning a firearm a long and tedious task. The Second Amendment is stated in the United States Constitution in the section of the United States Bill of Rights that was adopted on December 15, 1791 it is the right for all American Citizen to bear arms. The Bill of Rights is every Americans legal rights as a citizen of this country. Throughout the course of Americans existence many political parties and leaders have tried to implement new addition to many of the amendments in the Constitution in order to make their personal perversion of the rights our country was founded on. The fear is that the Country was founded to be a Republic, "Government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the Earth." - Abraham Lincoln, will be compromised and the government will start to control our way of life spinning our country into a socialist style government. With each new bill congress and the president passes is one more step in the wrong direction. With every new policy are new laws and with laws comes authorial action. Many of these actions are implemented by revoking of citizen’s original rights therefore leaving a American citizen bare of all legal right and in complete control of the government. Firearms are indeed dangerous and someone who owns one has an obligation to be properly educated and trained with the weapon. So with the current laws emplaced a possible buyer must be 18 years of age to purchase a rifle or shotgun, 21 years of age for a pistol, go through a background check to see if the buyer has been convicted of any felons, domestic assault or abuse, dishonorably discharged veterans from the military, illegal immigrants, anyone under indictment for felony charges, mentally ill or insane, and people with outstanding misdemeanor or felony warrants. I feel this process is important ensuring only those who are illegible are able to purchase a firearm. The Obama administration along with many other liberal politicians are wanting every firearm owner to register every weapon with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms so that the government knows of every weapon an legal law abiding citizen has. Failure to do so under these new policies will result in property searches without a warrant, confiscation of firearms, fines and possible jail time. Keep in mind this is apart of a process of a law abiding citizen takes. Nowhere in these new laws or polices is it making it any more difficult for someone who doesn’t live by the laws to obtain a firearm. So now in this society where a law abiding citizen is punished for following the laws its country has put into action can not own a firearm to protect himself from a transient citizen or non citizen who has obtained an illegal firearm and is now threatening their life. With each new stipulation on our original rights will result in more power to the government and less to the people. By disarming the citizen you are arming the criminals making it the governments responsibility to hire and train more police officers to protect the citizens. Lets take Chesapeake, VA 2009 statistics for an example, Population 222,455, Full time Police Officers 512. This putting 434 citizens to one police officer and patrolling a area roughly 340.7 square miles with a population density of 653 people per square mile. This is a large area and a large number of people for only 1 police office to be in control of. If we just keep the standards we have on gun control and actually enforced purchasing and carrying firearms will in turn instill fear to many criminals. With the fear of not knowing who may or may not be carrying. With this idea comes great responsibility to ensure proper education and training as stated earlier. But empowering the people with their original right to bare arms will make our country a safer place. Sources 1) Sands, Trent. “The Instant Background Check for Gun Purchasers”. Loompanics Unusual & Unique Books. Web. 2) Chesapeake, Virginia. Web.

Year Round Education

The year round education (YRE) issue has been around for many years. As of the 2006/2007 school year there were approximately 3,181 schools in 46 states in our nation utilizing some form of the year round school calendar. The four states that do not have any form of year round school calendar are New Hampshire, Maine, Mississippi and Wyoming. California, of course, led the nation with 1,322 schools operating on some form of the year round schedule, following by Hawaii with 296 and Arizona with 175. There are many issues to address when considering the year round school schedule. Some of the very first things that come to my mind are the top issue my daughters faced when switching from private to public schools in the last two years. The public schools in our district rank very high in the state for educational achievement, however both the high school and the elementary school are both operating at or beyond full capacity. The easy answer to that would be to build new schools but when the state is barely able to cover the funding to pay teachers it makes me wonder where they will come up with the money to build a few new schools, let alone furnish and staff them. Sure, they could raise taxes but in our economy I am sure I speak for many when I say “who can afford more taxes”? As a matter of fact, my younger daughter is attending the Elementary school. At the end of last year, the district announced that the new primary school would be opened in the fall of 2010, housing kindergarten through second grade. My daughter, who is in the 5th grade this year, would for the first time, be attending the Elementary school with only the third, fourth and fifth grade in it. The trailers would no longer be necessary. The lunchroom would no longer be overcrowded. The classroom size would be smaller. New facilities would be put in to place such as a new science lab. Well, here we are, some 6 weeks into the new school year and the primary school is still not completed. The classes are still overcrowded. There is no additional funding in the school budget for teachers so unless the classrooms are over 34 children each, they cannot hire another teacher. They do not have teacher’s assistants or aides to assist with so many children. My daughter’s class has 32 kids. The buses are overcrowded. At the beginning of October, the entire school will be uprooted as the younger grades move to the newly opened primary school and the older kids start switching classrooms. The school estimates it should take no more than one week to make “the move” but that is a full week of learning time for these kids. And maybe that doesn’t seem like a lot of time but to a child trying to learn the basic skills to pass these state standardized tests that are crammed down their throats all year long a classroom with 32 other children, those 5 days could be detrimental. For anyone that is not familiar with YRE I will start with a brief definition. Year Round School (YRS) are schools that restructure the traditional school calendar, August to June, to a calendar such that learning followed by vacations are spread throughout the entire year to make learning more continuous. These YRS do not add additional days to the standard 180 days of learning but instead just reorganize the days. Typically YRS use the single track with unified attendance or a multi-track with staggered attendance, or some combination of both. The single track provides the entire student body and staff the same school calendar with the same attendance days and vacation time. The multi-track divided the students and teachers into groups with staggered attendance days and vacation periods. Well, that leads me to the first of some of the many pros to year round school calendars. When the schools are overcrowded, a multi-track year round school schedule could possibly be the answer. New schools would not have to be built. These rickety little trailers that look like they would blow away during a hard wind storm we see outside our elementary school now would not be necessary. And of course, one of the key points in this is the money saved. According to research, Florida’s Marion County school system estimated a savings of more than $12 million in construction costs by switching to a multi-track year round school calendar. Imagine what could be done with $12 million dollars? That would pay quite a few teacher salaries and possibly some teacher assistants. Of course, the multi-track schedule does raise a lot of concerns for other reasons as well. If you have more than one child in school, there is no guarantee that they will both be on the same track in the multi-track system. Then my next issues are the research and statistics on summer learning loss. The teachers seem to spend the first six weeks of back to school giving refresher courses in last year’s learning. That’s like starting out behind. I know my kids always look forward to summer break but about three or four weeks into it they are bored and ready to go back to school. This topic came to my attention during this last summer and I have been very interested in finding out more about. I have read quite a bit about the topic and so far I must say that I am leaning toward being more of a proponent than an opponent to the YRS.