Other than Honorable

Nine year veteran marine Gary Stein, with only four months remaining in his tour, is facing serious consequences for his most recent political outbursts via Facebook.  Stein, a self described conservative, “hell bent on defending the constitution and preserving America’s greatness”, has had a history of criticism of Obama, with multiple Facebook postings slandering the president; he has even gone so far as to photoshop Obama’s face over a poster of “Jackass: The Movie”.  The final straw came when Stein posted to a Facebook group that he would refuse to follow Obama’s orders; only later did he clarify his statement, explaining that he meant only unlawful orders.

Stein is being charged with violating a Pentagon policy which limits the political activities of service members, including “contemptuous words against senior officials”, and in this case, the Commander-In-Chief.  Stein’s attorney is in turn arguing that service members who present their political views may do so as long as they do not claim endorsement by the military, and therefore, do not violate the Pentagon policy.

The Marine Corps administrative board, following an extensive hearing for the sergeant, has recommended that the 26 year old Stein be given an “other than honorable discharge”; if the recommendation is accepted, Stein will be demoted, discharged, and will lose all his benefits. 
I feel that Stein’s punishment is extreme, and that while his criticism of our president is both rude and flawed, he does have every right to make said statements.  What do you think of Stein’s situation? Is he within his first amendment rights, or does the military have jurisdiction to exercise their policy in preventing political commentary from its service members?

U.S. Navy Jet Crashes in Virginia

 U.S. Navy Jet Crashes in Virginia
On Friday, April 6^th, a U.S. Navy F/A-18 Hornet jet crashed into a Virginia Beach apartment complex after taking off from US Naval Air station Oceana.  Amazingly, there were no casualties from the incident, with all residents and both pilots accounted for. 

The Navy is proclaiming the cause of the accident to be a “catastrophic mechanical malfunction” that occurred during takeoff that Friday morning.  The flight pattern and ejection seats indicate that the pilots remained with the plane for as long as possible, in the hopes of minimizing damage.  Before crashing, the jet released most of its fuel, spilling out over Virgina’s streets and houses.  Whether this was the intention of the pilots, or merely part of the catastrophic failure, the act minimized what could have become a massive fireball in one of Virginia’s most populous cities.

Although destruction was minimal, this is the third F-18 Hornet crash this year; in February, an F-18 crashed in Bahrain, only two days after another F-18 went down during a training flight in Nevada.  The Navy suffered two more incidents in August 2011, with various mechanical malfunctions occurring through 2006 to 2008.  The F-18 is used primarily for training, and new pilots are almost always accompanied by an experienced instructor.

What do you guys think of this spree of crashes?  Is this the fault of an inattentive military, or is it unrealistic to not expect such crashes, what with such young pilots being put in the cockpit of such incredibly complex machines?

The link to the CNN article is in the title, some pretty amazing photos were captured of the crash.

France Suggests Deal Is Near on Tapping Oil Reserve

The French Prime minister, Francois Fillion suggested on Thursday that a deal was near among developed countries, including the United States, to tap strategic petroleum reserves to reduce gasoline prices.
"If we reach an accord with the other developed countries, we’ll draw on our stocks, push down the price for a limited time,” Mr. Fillon said.
Domestic political concerns on both sides of the Atlantic may be a factor in the current discussions. President Barack Obama faces a re-election in November, with gasoline prices at $4 a gallon or more in some states. In the Paris area, gas is at more than €2 a liter, or $10 a gallon.
These gas prices are ridiculous and I believe it is a good idea to do something about it. Obama has a lot of work to cut out for him to get those gas prices down, if he wants a chance in resuming presidency.

Apple Supplier in China Pledges Big Labor Changes

The manufacturing giant Faxconn has had critical investigations in its factories, responding to these investigations, Faxconn has pledged to sharply curtail working hours and significantly increase wages inside Chinese plants making electronic products for Apple and others.This move could improve working conditions in China.
They found at least 43 violations of the Chinese laws and regulations. They found many instances when Chinese workers were working for more than 60 hours a week and sometimes more than 11 days in a row. Also the investigations found out that more than 43 percent of workers have experience or witnessed accidents.
Apple, which recently joined the Fair Labor Association, had asked the group to investigate plants manufacturing iPhones, iPads and other devices. Earlier this week a collection of advocacy groups sent Apple an open letter calling on the company to “ensure decent working conditions at all its suppliers.”
Foxconn’s promises include a commitment that by July of next year, no worker will labor for more than 49 hours per week — the limit set by Chinese law. But regardless of motivation, when a company as large as Foxconn changes, we hope it reshapes other companies’ decisions.

Materials lead US stocks lower as commodities dip

Falling commodity prices punished materials and energy companies, pushing Wall Street's major stock indexes to a lower close. Oil lost nearly $2 to $150 to a barrel, hurting energy stocks.

Health insurance companies declined more than the broader market as the U.S. Supreme Court wrapped up oral arguments in a challenge to President Barack Obama's massive health care overhaul.

Cheveron fell 1.1 percent, exxon 0.9 percent, Aluminum producer Alcoa Inc. fell 2.6 percent, Aetna Inc. and Health Net Inc. lost 1 percent, and Catalyst Health Solutions fell 1.4 percent.

Futures for crude, natural gas, heating oil and gasoline all fell, with crude leading the way. Oil prices fell after a report suggesting a larger-than-expected jump in U.S. crude supplies, a sign that demand remains weak.

If consumers get a break on what they have to pay for energy, that could provide a bump for the U.S. economy.

Gingrich and Paul--Slowly But Steadily Losing the Race

I keep asking myself, Why are Gingrich and Paul still in the race? It seems that they are both consistently losing in primary elections and caucuses and gaining only a small number of delegates. The percentage of votes in many states for these candidates have been in the single digits.

Now, it appears, they won't even be able to have their names on the Republican National Convention ballot. RNC rules require nominees for the presidential candidate to have won a plurality of votes in at least five states. So far, Gingrich has won in South Carolina and Georgia, and Paul has not won a plurality in any state.

Do you think this RNC rule is fair? And what's keeping these two in the race? It seems to me it isn't worth the time, money, or effort to continue when their chances of becoming the nominee for the Republican presidential candidate are, at best, slim.

Obamacare Revisited

When a slew of Republicans took office after the midterm elections in 2010, one of their top priorities was to repeal the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, nicknamed "Obamacare." The act is still being disputed in the Supreme Court after its constitutionality has been questioned over and over again. Nonetheless, Friday marked the two-year anniversary of the day that Obamacare was passed. The Obama-Biden campaign invited supporters to share their stories about how the Affordable Care Act has helped them, surely in an attempt to gather support for the upcoming election.

Polls show that two years after the passage of the act, public opinion remains the same, with as many people supporting and opposing it as before. Opponents cite its high costs as a reason for opposition, in addition to the provision that mandates every American to have health insurance. Supporters say that Obamacare fixes problems that the insurance industry has and covers insured people better.

Do you support Obamacare? Do you think that it will ultimately be ruled constitutional or unconstitutional?

Romney Scores All of Puerto Rico's Delegates

Last Sunday, Puerto Rico had its Republican primary election. Unsurprisingly, Romney won big with a majority of 83% of the vote, enabling him to take Puerto Rico's 20 delegates. This increased his lead over fellow candidate Rick Santorum, and Romney now has over twice the amount of delegates as Santorum.

As you have heard, Santorum recently said that English should be the official language of Puerto Rico if the territory wants to become a state. In a territory where Romney was already the favorable candidate, this statement did not help Santorum's chances of winning any delegates in Puerto Rico, despite the fact that he visited Puerto Rico in attempts to increase his popularity.

Romney shortly after made a public statement disagreeing with Santorum's position. Before the primary, Romney put in a last-minute radio advertisement and declared his support of Puerto Rico becoming a state.

Even though Romney made a much more delayed effort in Puerto Rico than Santorum, who made the effort to talk to a local newspaper while visiting the territory, Romney still emerged victorious. Santorum stated that what he said was misinterpreted by the newspaper, yet Romney still took advantage of his statement.

Was it fair for Romney to use Santorum's words against him? Do you think Santorum was misinterpreted, or was he just saying that to try to save face after a negative reaction? Romney has a lot more campaign funds than Santorum--do you think that that is a big factor in Romney's success as a candidate?

Make Way for the New Social Class in America-- Prisoners

America currently has 7-10 times as many prisoners than any other country in the world, with the primary reason being the War on Drugs. Today, over half of all federal inmates of the U.S. are in prison due to drug offenses. It is also important to note that states pay more for prisoners than they do for college students. While a student costs about $8,600 per year, a prisoner costs around $45,000 a year for the state.

And to be more specific in regards to our home state, California spent $9.6 billion on prisons compared to $5.7 billion on the UC system and Cal State colleges in 2011.

In my opinion, prolonging the War on Drugs would be foolish. I think that this war cannot be won until we decriminalize drugs, mainly marijuana. In this way, we would not have to continue imprisoning people based on drug offenses like possession of drugs, which I see is mostly harmless to others; I see it as a waste of money to imprison these people instead of spending it on other departments including education. There are also a number of other benefits to ending the War on Drugs, including reducing violence in Mexico. Anyways, the budget distribution affects many of us who plan to attend UCs. With rising tuition costs, I think that our state government should allocate more money towards education rather than incarcerating citizens who happen to get caught with drugs.

Should we legalize marijuana? Should the U.S. continue or end the War on Drugs? Will the large amount of prisoners affect the disparity between the upper- and lower-classes?

Police chief in Trayvon Martin case steps down, racial bias persists

Amidst allegations of misconduct and racism, Bill Lee has temporarily stepped down as police chief of Sanford, FL, the city where Travyon Martin was killed. Lee's decision comes on the heels of much criticism of his choice to allow Martin's killer George Zimmerman to go free under the state's Stand Your Ground law.

To many, Martin's murder and its subsequent treatment by the Sanford police is anecdotal evidence of the persistence of racial bias everywhere from the front of a 7-Eleven to the highest reaches of the national government. As the story goes, Zimmerman became suspicious of Martin as he (Martin) was "just walking around looking about." Writer E. J. Graff coined the term "Walking While Black" to describe this sort of unfounded suspicion of minorities.

In an interesting op-ed by Sally Kohn, Kohn draws parallels between Trayvon Martin and President Obama. Just as Zimmerman was suspicious of Martin for Walking While Black, Obama's critics don't trust him because he is Governing While Black. The kind of implicit racial bias that Obama faces isn't exactly subtle. As Kohn points out:

"President Barack Obama is the first African-American president...(and) from day one, conservatives have attacked the president's religion, citizenship, and essential patriotism....Their rhetoric often evokes the same racial animus that Zimmerman seems to have expressed....Newt Gingrich has labeled President Obama 'the most dangerous president in history'....Rush Limbaugh said: 'Obama is an angry black guy.'"

This racial bias is even rooted in scientific studies; we're all familiar with the Black Doll/White Doll experiment, but a recent study concluded that subjects showed more support for the exact same healthcare reform proposals if they were credited to Bill Clinton rather than Barack Obama.

Despite the acknowledgement of this problem, though, it doesn't seem like much has really changed, especially in terms of suspicion of black men, whether they be 17-year-old boys or leaders of the free world. Racial bias may not be overt anymore, but it's deeply embedded in the fabric of the politics, justice system, and people of the United States, so much so that it can threaten the dignity of the presidency or kill a harmless boy.

Please share any thoughts you have on these issues in the comments section...

Romney Wins in Illinois

On Tuesday, Mitt Romney walked away with a win in Illinois, thanks to his usual moderate supporters as well as some of the more radical groups, like some Tea Party members. Why the change in supporters? According to exit polls, voters say they are voting for a candidate that will win in November...apparently a slightly more moderate Republican candidate will have a better chance at beating Obama.

However, Romney didn't leave Illinois without a comments. Not only is Romney confident that Santorum doesn't stand a chance, but Romney continued his crusade against Obama. According to a New York Times article:

He belittled Mr. Obama’s experience as a constitutional law professor at the University of Chicago and as a community organizer on the South Side of Chicago, saying the president was ill suited to lead the nation to economic prosperity.

“It’s time to say this word: enough. We’ve had enough,” he said. “We know our future’s brighter than these troubled times. We still believe in America, and we deserve a president who believes in us, and I believe in the American people.”

Mr. Romney's right; we have had enough. Why don't we talk about some of your policies?

Scientist Look far to the North to Explain Young Whale in San Francisco Bay

Recently, there has been a sighting of two grey whales swimming near Alcatraz and Sausalito in San Francisco Bay.

Scientist say that this is unnormal around this time of the year. Gray whales normally mate tropical lagoons of Baja California around winter, then migrate towards the north to chilly polar waters to feed on shrimp-like prey that come to the surface of the water during the spring and summer time. After, they return to Mexico the following winter to give birth in the lagoons in order to keep them safe from sharks and orcas.

But the small calf that is with its mother in the Bay Area, is a new born. The new born is about 15 feet, meaning that she recently just had birth on her way towards Mexico. "We're seeing more and more calves born before they get all the way down to Mexico," said Wayne Perryman, leader of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Researchers have been looking into the changes in the feeding and migration patterns. Some of these changes are due to climate change, while in other cases its linked to the recovery of the species from overhunting.

Mr. Perryman said that grey whales are leaving polar waters later compared to when they left back 15 to 20 years ago. As ice sheets move more northward, it might take longer for the whales to reach their food before they turn south again. Or, its because they are not able to find enough food in time to keep the traditional schedule. He also talks about how the primary feeding grounds have shifted.

Some grey whales have been eating off the northern coast of California, meaning that they are eating different kinds of prey then they would in polar waters. However, the population has been relearning direct migration routes that were being forgotten when manny of the animals were killed by whalers.

The whales have learned to go towards the west, around the Channel Islands off of Southern California. But according to Mr. Harvey, the wayward mother in the bay was hugging the coast because she wanted to protect her baby from the predators when she accidentally followed the shoreline into San Francisco Bay.

“If you’re a female with a calf,” Mr. Harvey said, “the best thing to do is swim really close to the coastline.”

Does Florida law let killers go free?

On the night of February 26th, a 17 year old named Trayvon Martin decided to go to the store to by some snacks. Before he could make it home, he was shot dead. The worst thing about it, is that there may be nothing Floridas law enforcement can do about the situation.

A man named George Zimmerman volunteered to be a neighborhood watch captain. Once Zimmerman saw Martin, he called 911 thinking that Matin looked suspicious. The operator tried to tell Zimmerman to keep his distance and that police would be sent, but there was confrontation between Zimmerman and Martin. Martin was killed with a single shot to the chest. Yet, authorities in Florida have not arrested Zimmerman.

The question of the case involves Floridas so called "stand your ground" law which was passed in 2005 because of the National Rifle Association. Under the new law, a person is allowed to use a deadly force if he is in a place where he has a right to be and feels threatened.

Even though the operator told him to keep his distance, Zimmerman had a right to be on the street. But the question is, did Zimmerman reasonably feel threatened? There is proof that there was confrontation between Martin and Zimmerman. They found that Zimmerman had an injury to his head. Most importantly, the police will never know the full story since Trayvon is not around to tell his side.

The facts of this case shows why the "stand your ground" law is so important. Was his understanding of the situation "reasonable"? Thats for the court to decide but it still gives a lot of deference to the perpetrator of a violent act. This is not the first time someone was killed unfairly. Ever since the law went into effect, homicides have tripled according to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. In the death of Trayvon Martin, it's prosecutors who are taking the heat for failing to bring any charges against George Zimmerman.

But will this outrage ever stop or are more innocent people going to keep getting hurt just because they seem suspicious?

Why super PACs?

We discussed super PACs in class earlier, and with election season in full swing now, super PACs are once again becoming major players. True, super PACs are supposed to be independent from candidates, but they can support or oppose whomever they choose.

But why do these individuals donate so much money to candidates? (for a breakdown of the financing, click here http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2012/01/31/us/politics/super-pac-donors.html?ref=politics ) And where does the money go?

The second question is pretty easy: the money goes to the candidates, to fund ad campaigns and more expensive things...okay yes, that makes sense.

But WHY do these people donate such large sums of money? Obviously they have enough money to invest in their hobbies and interests; but why choose to create or donate to a super PAC? There must be some sort of reward to this. Sure, they are promoting a cause and their belief, but there must be something else.

Although, maybe there isn't some corrupted ulterior motive driving these multimillionares and corporation owners to finance candidates. Maybe they are just donating from the good of their hearts...but then again, why don't they donate to America, by agreeing to pay a bit more in taxes to help the others?

What do you think: why do individuals create super PACs? What's in it for them?

**this morning I read that the Republican candidates are running out of funds and relying more heavily on super PACs, giving these individuals and organizations a much larger say in government. Click here for a NY times article on depleting funds.

Lesser of two evils: Would you pick a crook over a political rival?

Despite having been indicted last week for accepting a bribe, Derrick Smith of the Illinois House of Representatives won his party's primary Tuesday in Chicago. The story behind the bribe? Smith was allegedly paid $7,000 in cash to write a letter in support of a state grant for a day care center. This adds to a long list of Illinois lawmakers who have faced corruption charges, including Anazette Collins, George Ryan, and Rod Blagojevich.

Smith faces up to ten years in prison should he be convicted.

In spite of his alleged crime, Smith had no trouble beating out Democratic rival Tom Swiss, who was once a chairman of the Cook County Republican Party, with 76 percent of the vote. U.S. Rep. Danny Davis (D-IL) had rallied Chicagoans to back Smith rather than Swiss in light of the latter's previous involvement with the GOP. In reference to this, Davis said: "There's nothing wrong with being a Republican, except that if people are going to vote for a Republican, they ought to know they’re voting for a Republican."

Although Smith will likely step down from his office before the November general election, the symbolic support of an alleged crook over someone with a clean record who just so happens to have been a Republican is a little troubling. Are we so hostile towards opposing parties that we'd rather a criminal be in office than someone whose politics we disagree with?

Sound off in the comments section to answer these age-old questions: How much importance do you place on a politician's character? Can you still generally trust a politician whose character has come into question to govern properly? Is there a "corruption threshold" at which you would no longer be able to vote for a politician, even if they shared your political beliefs?

7. 4-magnitude quake hits Mexico

In one of the strongest earthquakes since 1985's Mexico City shaker, the south-west Mexican state of Guerrero experienced a 7.4-magnitude shock mid-day Tuesday. Producing several aftershocks, the quake was felt as far away as Guatemala City, approximately 600 miles from the epicenter.

Traffic jams and building evacuations abounded, while 800 homes were damaged, according to some reports. Some have been injured, though no deaths have been reported as of yet.

Although the earthquake is not expected to create a widespread tsunami, there is still a chance that tsunami effects will be experienced locally.

Guerrero last experienced a major earthquake (magnitude 6.5) in 2008.

Mars Will Just Have to Wait

“We are closer than anyone has ever been to discovering life on another world," according to Bill Nye, The Science Guy. But unfortunately, Obama's new budget plan will force NASA to cancel two planned missions in 2016 and 2018. The first mission would have aimed to figure out if there are any forms of life by measuring methane that would be emitted by living microbes. The other would collect pieces of Mars to bring back to Earth for scientists to study. Many of NASA's other programs are also being delayed to several years later due to problems with budget. Overall, Obama's budget request for 2013 proposes to cut NASA's space exploration budget by 20%.

Should we allocate more funding to NASA or are there other programs that we should focus on?

"Santorum to Puerto Rico: Speak English if you want statehood"

In November, Puerto Ricans will be able to vote on whether they want to become a U.S. state or remain a U.S. commonwealth. In a recent interview with a Puerto Rican newspaper, GOP presidential candidate Rick Santorum stated that he wants Puerto Rico to make English the primary language if they want to become the 51st state, even though Puerto Rico's official languages are English and Spanish. His proposal can be deemed unconstitutional as the Constitution does not require for a territory to adopt English as the primary language in order to become a state.

It is also important to note that English is not the official language of the U.S. However, some states have passed laws declaring that English is the official language there.

I think that his statement does not truly reflect his beliefs towards Puerto Rico, but rather tries to appeal to the constituents with the mentality of "You're in America, speak English." I feel that this mentality discriminates, instead of unifies America in that minorities feel alienated for being unable to speak English.

Do you guys think English should be the official language of America?

Oops, I Spilled It Again

Earlier this week, a crude oil leak was discovered in the Frade oil field off the coast of Brazil, and Brazilian officials declare they plan to "bring criminal charges" to 17 executives from Chevron, the US oil company, and the drilling contractor Transocean. This is hardly the Chevron's first offense in Brazil - in November a large oil spill occurred in the same Frade oil field, in which 3,000 barrels of oil poured into the Atlantic Ocean, around 240 miles from Rio de Janeiro. The prosecutor's lawyer said that they would be charging the defendants for "environmental crimes," among other things.

I find this article interesting, especially after the infamous Gulf oil spill caused such an uproar here in 2010. Do you guys think the charges against Chevron and Transocean are fair? Who do you think should be responsible for oil spills in general? And where do you think the line should be drawn between making money and protecting the environment?

‘Hunger Games’ and Social Media - A Match Made in Heaven

It's no secret that "The Hunger Games" fever is sweeping the nation at lightning speeds. With less than a week before the hugely popular book series hits the big screen, excitement for the story and its characters is at an all time high. But why has it generated so much popularity over just a few months? The answer is, of course, digital media.

Keeping in mind that teens are the majority of the series' fan base, Lionsgate has spent only $45 million on advertising and hired a tiny staff of 21 people to spread "Hunger Games" hype - through a surprisingly cheap "yearlong, four-phase digital effort" focused on young audiences. By utilizing popular media outlets like Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Youtube, and even iPhone games, Lionsgate marketing officials have carefully increased the internet buzz and have created a "box-office inferno" surrounding the upcoming movie. Considering the plot's tricky content (kids killing kids for a dystopian society's televised pleasure) and the number of fans it must satisfy, I'd say Lionsgate's marketing team is doing a pretty darn good job.

This is just another example of how important the internet has become to our society - politics, advertising, news in general is becoming increasingly dependent on new social media. What do you guys think about this? How could our obsession with the internet and social media hurt us, or help us, as a society?