Senators push nationwide ban on texting while driving

Recently, four senators found out that looking somewhere besides the road while you're driving can lead to disastrous effects, so they opted for a bill that would ban texting while driving your choice of vehicle. The new bill will forbid you from texting in your car, which hopefully, will prevent those "hip" teens from dying because they're too preoccupied with their comments on myspace.

States who also refuse to take up there bill could lose 25 percent of their highway funds, which is a pretty good idea, if people don't comply with you, you take their money.

People are at an increased risk will texting, tests have shown that when you text the risks of crashing are 23 times greater then if you weren't. When texting your reaction time is slowed down,you begin to read a text that your good buddy sent you saying that he broke your favorite guitar, you begin to fill yourself with contempt and rage wondering why you gave your treasured possession to your friend in the first place and at that very moment, you crash into a little old lady doing 30 on the freeway. This would have been easily avoided if you had not used your phone in the car, If you weren't wearing your seat belt, your probably dead, even if you survive the crash, your going to have to come face to face with insurance, you might even by charged with vehicular manslaughter,

So do yourself a favor "Get your hands off the cell phone and back on the wheel."

http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/07/29/texting.ban/index.html

"Being obnoxious is not a crime.", of course, the author is referring to the arrest of Henry Louis Gates Jr. a Harvard professor of African history. Gates was arrested on counts of disorderly conduct. Gates had just returned from China after filming a PBS documentary, to find his front door jammed. His taxis driver , also an African American took a crowbar from his trunk and helped him pry the door open. This was all seen by the watchful eyes of a little old lady, who proceeded to report to the authorities that 2 black men had broken into her neighbor's house, never taking the time to notice that it was her neighbor trying to force the door open, not a burglar in a ski mask. She calls the police, officer Crowley arrives on the scene, this is where the controversy starts.

"A police officer who’s proud of his reputation for getting along with black officers, and for teaching cadets to avoid racial profiling, feels

maligned to be cast as a racist white Boston cop.

A famous professor who studies identity and summers in Martha’s Vineyard feels maligned to be cast as a black burglar with backpack and crowbar."

Officer Crowley sees 2 black men trying to force a door open, Henry Gates Jr sees a white officer approaching him, this sparks a clash of egos. Gates proclaimed Crowley was “gruff , unsolicitous and made my the hair on my neck stood up.” While Crowley said that gates acted “put off” and “agitated.”

Gates, being a calm headed individual, explained that this was his home and that his front door was jammed, Crowley wanted to see some identification, Gates flashed his Harvard idea, Crowley looked at it, gave it back and asked for his drivers license. Gates insisted that the His Harvard idea was enough and that crowley was suspecting him because he was black, the two began to bicker, it ended up with Crowley arresting gates for disorderly conduct.

“There’s a fine line between disorderly conduct and freedom of speech. It can get tough out there, but I tell my officers, ‘Don’t make matters worse by throwing handcuffs on someone. Bite your tongue and just leave.’ ” Quotes the author, it seems to me that the author is more or less sided with gates, streghten by the quote

"But the strong guy with the gun has more control than the weak guy with the cane. An officer who teaches racial sensitivity should not have latched on to a technicality about neighbors — who seemed to be outnumbered by cops — getting “alarmed” by Gates’s “outburst.”

It seems that there wouldn't be a problem if gates was a bit more humble and had just shown his Drivers License.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/26/opinion/26dowd.html?ref=opinion

The Health Reform Bill

"This is a bill worth fighting for." Throughout the entire article, these words stuck out the most, What's so special about this Bill? How can it benefit the lives of Americans? The bill our author was critiquing was the new Health Reform Bill. This bill of course, was aimed towards not only those who buy health insurance but those who couldn't even afford Insurance, "It would also expand Medicaid to cover many more poor people, and it would create new exchanges through which millions of middle-class Americans could buy health insurance with the help of government subsidies." It would be good news for all listening ears, being able to sigh in relief knowing they had insurance.

But that's not even the best part, not only as this bill was formatted to be able to operate without breaking the bank, but it would, in the words of the article "And it would require all but the smallest businesses to provide health insurance for their workers or pay a substantial fee."

The author continues painting a lovely portrait, until we are informed of the trade off for cheap health care, just leave the Bill to the wealthy. That's right, Individuals making over $280,000 a year and families making over $350,000 would have to pay for at least half of the reforms costly price tag.

The author justifies the following by saying "The wealthy have benefited greatly from Bush-era tax cuts, and their incomes have risen disproportionately in recent years. It seems proper that they should contribute heavily to an effort that is vital to hard-pressed Americans and to the long-term health of the economy."

I agree with the author, the new health reform bill is a great idea for the general population, people who don't live in mansions.

For the original story please go to

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/16/opinion/16thu1.html

Recently Obama made a trip to Africa to make a speech about how it was time for Africa to change, change from a unbalanced tribal system, to a more stable one. His speech was a huge event, people from all over Africa came to watch our president passionately speak about how it was time for Africa to through away its corruption and stand up on its own, Obama told his audience about his roots to Africa and Americas plans to donate 63 billion dollars over the span of 6 years, for the researh of aids prevention, and to aid the needy all over Africa.

This article is worth reading because, it shows the progress and change that has occured in Africa, no longer will people have to threaten others with violence, Now the stage has been set for Africans to talk to out their diffrences without the need of violence.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124731725229727147.html